From: Ginny Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 16:32:35 -0500

Thanks for this great contribution to our initial discussion of books by Paul Fleischman, Karen! Who else has read aloud or heard Joyful Noise poetry, not just read it but heard it? What do you want to add? (We'll hear from the real Paul Fleischman later this month, so for now, let's hear from each other!) ... Ginny Moore Kruse
(gmkruse at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu)

Well, while waiting for the discussion to begin on Fleischman*s works*I thought I*d make some (hopefully joyful) noise. An odd thing occurred, for an informal discussion group I am reading Diane Ackerman*s -A Natural History of the Senses-
(New York: Random House, 1990; ISBN #0g9s566-6) and was actually getting quite bogged down with the section on "Hearing." Frankly, I was beginning to think I was "sound phobic"*if truth be told, I have turned my computer settings off for sound. Horrors! While surfing the *Net, my visual intake should be affronted by sound! Then, I came across this quote from Ackerman (p.175): "In Arabic, absurdity is not being able to hear. Sounds thicken the sensory stew of our lives, and we depend on them to help us interpret, communicate with, and express the world around us."

I have always liked (okay, been nuts over) -Joyful Noise- but when looking at it again for this discussion*something was missing. And that something was sound! At first, I tried reading it aloud myself: not satisfactory! So, I recruited
(who else?) my Mom and we read all the poems together. It was a treat! We couldn*t stop reading and talking about the poems. So, I snatched my next victim: a sixth grade girl with a moderate learning disability (who I tutor three times a week). Reading, especially aloud, has always been difficult for this child. (In doing her homework, she usually listens to specially prepared tapes of her textbook.) But, this kid was hooked too! We read three or four poems for about 20 minutes and then discussed them. She wanted more! She suddenly discovered poetry and was no longer intimidated by reading aloud!

Okay, Mr. Fleischman, how did you do it? I*m not very scholarly when it comes to analyzing literary works; but I do know what works! And what works here is the ability of the poems to entertain, enrapture the reader with sound and by reading in pairs, getting readers to participate, then discuss the poems and concepts (whatever you want to call it/it should be called)*.in general, lure the reader into the excitement and power of words and sharing, both while reading the poem aloud and then triggering further conversation. Its done so naturally! Its a "mitzvah" (blessing in Hebrew).

I use poetry a lot in book talks. And the kids seem to like it, but I often wonder how many kids really pick up poetry for pleasure reading. I think
-Joyful Noise- will do it! Now, how to present it? Have another adult familiar with the work read with you? Has anyone done this "cold" (ie, with no prep time for the student reader) with another student or students reading together?

Karen*who is "spinning and swerving as if we were on a mad merry-go-round."
(from "Whirligig Beetles")


Karen L. Simonetti email: karensue at mcs.net phone: 312.337.7114
        
"Walk gently, breathe peacefully, laugh hysterically."
        Nelson Mandela, 1994 Inaugural Speech
Received on Mon 05 May 1997 04:32:35 PM CDT