It's About More Than Rhyme

Reprinted from Pioneer Press News Article, September 25, 2008
By ROBERT ELFINGER, Pioneer Press

Educator and poet Bill Buczinsky says kids can write a three-page essay but if there's no poetry in it, or it's not interesting to them, it won't live on in their minds and they won't remember the subject matter. "Poetry helps kids learn not just what to say but how to say it so it means something," Buczinsky said.

Buczinsky is a former English teacher from North Carolina who founded the company A Child's Voice, which runs his traveling poetry tutorial. He conducted workshops for Westmoor School students Sept. 15 through Sept. 22., during which children learned about alliteration, rhythm and the power of imagery.

Mick Mulvihll's favorite part of the program was when Buczinsky gave each student a copy of his book "Strange World." "We got to write our own poems in the book," Mulvihll said. "I like poetry because it rhymes." The book has original poems by Buczinsky and places for kids to write their own poems and draw pictures. One page is dedicated to the question "If you were a bug, who would you bug?" and students are supposed to answer it by writing a poem. Mulvihll drew a picture in his book titled "A Girl Growing a Mustache" and volunteered it for all the class to see.

The district's elementary librarians coordinated the artist-in-residency program with the goal of showing students that poetry is a truly accessible and fun form of expression. "My hope is that he (Buczinksy) is going to give the students a fresh perspective on poetry, and help them understand that poetry doesn't have to be so strict -- that there aren't so many rigid lines and boundaries," said Westmoor School Librarian Tara LaCerra. "Everyone has poetry within themselves."

Buczinsky has been conducting multi-day residencies at each of the district's three elementary schools. He shares poetry -- often accompanied by guitar or drums -- with the students, and helps guide them as they write their own poems.

Buczinsky is holding a session with each class at each of the district's elementary schools, with the small groups allowing for lots of participation by the students. Tailoring his approach to students' maturity level, Buczinksy asks fourth-graders and fifth-graders to write multi-line poems, while encouraging a group of kindergartners to draw their poetic image and write words to describe it, if they can.

The experience culminates with an Open Mic Night at each school, so students can share their poetry creations with family and friends. Westmoor School's Open Mic Night has been held. Greenbriar School's Open Mic Night is 7 p.m. Wednesday at the school, 1225 Greenbriar Lane, and Meadowbrook School students are invited to participate in an Open Mic Night 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at the school, 1600 Walters Ave.