What kind of teacher are you? One who can’t wait to teach poetry, or one who dreads it? I was definitely in the latter group until Richard Grant aka the Dreadlock Alien visited my school for a week two years running. His energy, passion and understanding of the impact of poetry helped me see the benefits of it in the classroom.

Find out more about how I organised the Dreadlock Alien’s visit and the impact he made on the students and teachers in the post How to Host a School Poetry Slam.

There are many benefits to reading and teaching poetry in the classroom, including:

• Rhyming helps your students see patterns within words
• Poetry introduces rich vocabulary
• Learning how the right words can create imagery, effect, and meaning
• Making connections to experiences and emotions
• Developing inferring skills and being able to ‘read between the lines’
• Developing listening skills when you read poetry read aloud
• Promoting visualisation skills and encouraging imagination
• Expressing their own opinions confidently as everyone interprets poetry in their own way.