Some Opposites — a Frog Hollow Crankie

After a steep technical learning curve, I have a Frog Hollow Crankie* for you all. This is one we made to the poem “Some Opposites” by Richard Wilbur. We memorized this poem, and had a great time with it. It’s got a great rhythm, which helps make it easy to memorize, and it’s funny toContinue reading “Some Opposites — a Frog Hollow Crankie”

The Suitcase in the Mirror: cracking The Jabberwock

One of my favorite poems to teach is Lewis Carroll’s “The Jabberwock.” It is fun to memorize, and thrilling to recite. ‘Twas brillig and the slithy toves/did gyre and gimble on the wabe. It’s pure, exhilarating nonsense. To steal the kids’ slang, it’s epic. It’s also one big suitcase of cool lessons. I’ve been teachingContinue reading “The Suitcase in the Mirror: cracking The Jabberwock”

Wishes, Lies, Dreams

I’m going to start off by telling you one of my secrets. Frog Hollow writes tons of poetry. That’s no secret, and it’s no secret that with the right infectious enthusiasm, teaching poetry to children can help them get lit up about writing, about language, and about the centuries-long conversation about the human experience thatContinue reading “Wishes, Lies, Dreams”