Poetry in Motion a Study of Poetry in The
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Poetry in Motion A study of poetry in the kindergarten settings of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Eileen Woodhead A thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at the University of Otago College of Education Dunedin New Zealand 2016 © 2016 Eileen Woodhead CONTENTS ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... vi DEDICATION ..................................................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... viii MĀORI WORDS ................................................................................................................. ix ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................. x CHAPTER ONE – INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the research ......................................................................... 11 1.2 Definition of cultural capital ........................................................................ 12 1.3 Te ao Māori .................................................................................................. 14 1.4 The research setting ..................................................................................... 16 1.5 Outline of the thesis ..................................................................................... 17 1.6 Summary ...................................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER TWO – LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 20 2.2 Cultural capital and poetry ........................................................................... 21 2.3 Educational context of the research setting – past to present day ............... 22 2.4 Previous studies relating to poetry and children .......................................... 25 2.5 Collections and anthologies of poems ......................................................... 26 2.6 Historical analysis of origins of poems ....................................................... 27 2.7 Summary ...................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER THREE – METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 29 3.2 Research questions ...................................................................................... 29 3.3 Research methods ........................................................................................ 30 ii 3.4 Research design ........................................................................................... 30 3.5 Research site ................................................................................................ 31 3.6 Quantitative data .......................................................................................... 33 3.7 Qualitative data ............................................................................................ 34 3.8 Focus group interviews with teachers.......................................................... 35 3.9 Ethical considerations .................................................................................. 36 3.10 Summary .................................................................................................... 38 CHAPTER FOUR – SIX CASE STUDIES OF POEMS 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 39 4.2 Traditional karakia: ‘Ko te Kō a te Waimarie’ ............................................ 40 4.3 A poem from popular culture: ‘Let it Go’ ................................................... 45 4.4 A Froebelian tradition: ‘My Pigeon House’ ................................................ 52 4.5 Sociocultural influences: The New Zealand National Anthem ................... 58 4.6 Fanciful fantasy: ‘Puff, the Magic Dragon’ ................................................. 64 4.7 An enduring tradition: ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ ............................... 68 4.8 Summary ...................................................................................................... 76 CHAPTER FIVE – POETRY AS A CONDUIT TO CO-CONSTRUCTION 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 77 5.2 Poetry and science ....................................................................................... 77 5.3 Making sense of emotion ............................................................................. 84 5.4 Humour: fun, laughter, silliness and the absurd .......................................... 86 5.5 Poetry as a pathway to numeracy ................................................................ 90 5.6 Poetry and phonics ....................................................................................... 95 5.7 Poetry develops spatial awareness ............................................................... 99 5.8 Summary .................................................................................................... 103 CHAPTER SIX – HOW ARE POETS CREATED? 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 104 6.2 What is poetry? .......................................................................................... 105 iii 6.3 Creating original poetry ............................................................................. 107 6.4 Poetry as a motivator ................................................................................. 115 6.5 Poetic influences ........................................................................................ 117 6.6 Appropriation ............................................................................................. 120 6.7 Teaching resources .................................................................................... 122 6.8 Summary .................................................................................................... 124 CHAPTER SEVEN – DISCUSSION 7.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 125 7.2 Defining poetry .......................................................................................... 126 7.3 Aligning with cultural capital .................................................................... 128 7.4 Te ao Māori as cultural capital .................................................................. 130 7.5 Traditions of poetry in kindergartens ........................................................ 130 7.6 Appropriation as cultural capital ............................................................... 133 7.7 A pyramid of poetry appreciation .............................................................. 133 CHAPTER EIGHT – CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 8.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 137 8.2 Set one ....................................................................................................... 137 8.3 Set two ....................................................................................................... 139 8.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 140 TABLES Criteria for the recording of poems in Table 1 ................................................. 141 Criteria for the selection of poems in Table 2 .................................................. 141 Table 1: Matrix of Recorded Poems ................................................................. 142 Table 2: Top Twenty Poems ............................................................................. 144 GLOSSARY OF POETIC TERMS ....................................................................................... 145 LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ 150 APPENDICES APPENDIX A: Information Letter to Parents/Caregivers................................... 151 iv APPENDIX B: Consent Form for Parents/Guardians ......................................... 153 APPENDIX C: Information Sheet for Teacher Participants ............................... 154 APPENDIX D: Consent Form for Teacher Participants ..................................... 157 BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................. 159 v ABSTRACT Key words: poetry, kindergarten, Froebel This thesis, ‘Poetry in Motion’, explores the ways in which poetry aligns to the cultural capital of kindergarten settings. The research also unravels the role and purposes of poetry for kindergarten children. The research context is the kindergartens of the Napier Kindergarten Association, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Napier kindergartens are state funded to provide education and care for children aged two to five years, with qualified registered teachers. This ethnographic study highlights the links between poetry and the arts for young children. The rich interconnections that teachers and children have made between poetry and education become transparent. The kindergarten movement in New Zealand owes its