While there is a great deal of emphasis currently on developing literacy skills such as reading and writing, some of the content areas such as science and social studies are not seeing adequate instructional time for the content students are expected to master (NGSS, 2013). In fact, the 2018 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME) specifically addresses that science is getting far less of a focus than other areas of instruction (Love, Napoli, and Lee 2022). Student writing is an activity that can strengthen literacy development and deepen content area understanding. It can serve as a bridge between disciplines (Altieri, 2022). Integrating writing and content areas is not only motivating (Sigmond, 2019) but integrating writing with content can lead to ease recall of information and higher-level thinking (Brown, 2015).
However, writing can be time intensive, and there is growing pressure to ensure content area needs are met within a very limited amount of time. Student-created formula poetry is an excellent use of instructional time because the amount of instructional time needed is much less than would be required for other types of writing such as essays. It is a way to strengthen student content knowledge and skills while it can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. In fact, 92% of preservice teachers who had the opportunity to integrate poetry with content area material felt it would benefit their science instruction and help them to go more in depth on the content (Love, Napoli, and Lee, 2022).
This article will focus on formula poetry. It can be used with students from primary through middle school grades. Once students know the formula for a specific type of poem, it is easy for them to focus their time and energy on the actual content information in the poem.
The Benefits of Student-Created Formula Poetry
•Motivational- Due to the ease of creating poetry, even students who are developing emergent literacy skills can participate in class created poems. The activity is motivating for all levels of students and can build student confidence as they successfully create them (Frye, Bradbury, and Gross, 2016). Also, the use of poetry in the classroom can make ELLs feel successful (Friese and Nixon, 2009)
•Strengthens Academic Vocabulary- Writing poetry expands academic vocabulary because students are writing words pertaining to the content areas, reading their poems to others, and discussing the content of the poems. In fact, research has shown that upper elementary African American boys improved their science learning through poetry and digital media (Stanley, 2021). Through recitation of poetry, even very young ELL students can build their science vocabulary (Beaumont, 2022).
•Deepens Content Area Comprehension- Writing formula poetry requires students to reflect on what they know of the content material and think about how their knowledge fits together. Discussion of the student-created poetry will strengthen comprehension. Research supports that very young ELLs can not only expand their vocabulary, but they can deepen their understanding of science concepts through poetry (Beaumont, 2022)
•Reinforces literacy skills- As students write their poems, read them, listen to peers’ poems, and discuss the content of the poems, they are not only deepening their content knowledge, but they are strengthening their literacy skills. Their oral fluency will improve through orally sharing their poetry with others. They will be thinking about word choice and sentence conventions as they practice their writing skills.
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