Today’s guest is Dr. Mary Jo Fresch, a resident of Dublin, Ohio, who commenced her publications in 1995, translating research findings into practical insights for educators. Dr. Fresch’s preferred works are scholarly publications aimed at supporting teachers in enhancing literacy education. Collaborating on nine books, including the much-loved “Empowering Students’ Knowledge of Vocabulary: Learning How Language Works, Grades 3-5,” has been a rewarding experience. An intriguing tidbit about Dr. Fresch is her familial connection to the man seated behind Rosa Parks in the iconic photograph – he was her uncle!
With a background in teaching and teacher education, I have always advocated for introducing poetry to children. Utilizing this genre in classrooms allows students to build confidence and fluency in literacy skills through repeated reading. Witnessing the profound yet humorous expressions of young minds in poetry writing has been a delightful surprise. Children demonstrate a remarkable ability to convey deep emotions with brevity, often infusing humor into their creations, as exemplified by a first-grader’s endearing description of her sister followed by a whimsical declaration of love for her cat.
Empowering students with resources that inspire poetry creation has been a passion of mine. Engaging middle school students in discussions about authors’ perspectives on various topics, exploring familiar and surprising content, has been enlightening. Books like “Math Poetry” by Franco (2006) and “A Crossing of Zebras: Animal Packs in Poetry” by Maddox (2008) have sparked students’ interest in poetry writing by presenting math-related poems and collective noun poems. Encouraging students to discover their unique “pack” of animals, akin to a student unearthing a cauldron of bats, has been a source of Halloween joy.
In some instances, I have taken an unconventional approach by providing fifth-graders with plant identification books. By selecting a plant of personal interest and adopting its Latin name as their “botanical pen name,” students have crafted poems enriched with botanical vocabulary. This innovative method not only fosters creative expression but also enhances content vocabulary retention. For instance, a student’s poem on Zea Mays (corn) vividly depicted memories of passing Ohio cornfields, incorporating technical terms like tassels, stalks, ear, kernel, and shucks. Another student, inspired by Oryza Sativa (rice), intertwined botanical knowledge with cultural experiences of Indian cuisine.
Poetry serves as a gateway to literacy for struggling readers, offering concise and engaging texts that delve into emotions or ideas. The rhythmic nature and rhymes in poetry provide crucial support for emerging readers, while poems designed for two voices foster collaborative reading experiences. The sense of achievement when students recite a jointly practiced poem is truly rewarding. Poetry, whether deeply personal or shared within a community of learners, holds the power to inspire and connect. By sharing my unpublished poems with students, I aim to foster courage and creativity in their own writing endeavors. Perhaps you, too, can ignite a child’s passion for poetry by sharing your own verses with them. Write that poem!
Dr. Mary Jo Fresch, an esteemed Academy Professor and Professor Emerita at The Ohio State University’s College of Education and Human Ecology, is renowned for her expertise in literacy education. She is a sought-after speaker on national and international platforms, focusing on the developmental aspects of literacy learning.