allan wolf

i really like the youtube clip of allan wolf that our group picked.......

it reminded me of reading shel silverstein in elemntary school, the first time i remember really liking poetry. it has a great mix of melodrama and ridiculousness.

the way he peformed two poems in particular was intriguing. in both "your mother's other name" and ".......the hippo" (i forgot the name), allan wolf incorporated his young audience. it's a great device to hook them in. whether it's call-and-response or volunteering information, the audience plays a role in the performance.....this is especially useful for an audience of children.

but the lesson can be extended to teaching......when they are involved and can make a connection to something, they will be more engaged and ultimately get more out of it.

he also repeats lines, like a hook in a song. this makes it more rhythmic and easy to follow for young kids.

another thing that works is using words with sort of a musical quality to them.......words that sound interesting when vocalized. alliteration would be an example of this.