Customer Reviews

Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book has three poems for four voices. Once you teach kids how to use the format they take on the task with gusto. Each poem has a different flavor. Paul Fleischman's flair for language is wonderful, phrases roll off the tongue. The concept of four voices really motivates kids to pay attention to each other and the "beat" of the poem. We need more of this kind of poetry experience to turn kids on to poetry.

Those who loved "A Joyful Noise" and "I Am Phoenix" will feel that they've hit upon a treasure trove in this group of poems for four voices. The only small disadvantages: this book only contains three poems (maybe somebody should write a sequel?), and the arrangement of the color-coded lines can be a bit confusing. (Each "voice," or color, can have more than one line on a page.)

So, have fun. And then go write a few masterpieces of your own. Keep the Big Talk going.

I wish I had videotaped this year school year but due to time constraints I did not. This book comes on the heels of using Paul Fleishmann's, Joyful Noise, Poems for Two Voices. Both books offer students an interactive way to practice oral poetry reading and have lots of laughs in the process. This was in my 6th grade classroom, and my professional peers in 7th grade used this book to have their students write Advice Poems to my 6th graders going into 7th grade next year using the two and four voice formats. This book is a classroom must - you won't regret the purchase! Use the two-voice poems for your grade-level students and the four-voice poems for your high level students!

This book was a great idea and I loved the color and pictures but I think the vocbulary may be a little difficult for even some of my middle school students. The idea is great but the poems are not as great.

Fun poetry for four voices. The students were perplexed as to how to follow the lines, but eventually they accomplished it and looked forward to reading aloud. Fleischman does a great job; the poems are fun, students learn to like poetry, increase fluency, pay attention to timing and each other, and enjoy English. Wow!