Kate Williams

Children abandon their anxieties about writing when they’re whisked up in a whirl of exciting ideas, especially when there’s an irresistible poetry frame at their fingertips and a buzz of topical words in the air – and so it is in my workshops. I remind children that I’m not a teacher and won’t be marking their work; also that the writing is not a spelling or handwriting test, and that I don’t expect (or even want) them to use a dictionary or thesaurus this time – that I just want them just to relax and enjoy themselves, and that helps too. 

I base my workshops on familiar, open-ended themes, which children can quickly get their teeth into with pictures, props and acting-out to spur them on. Building ideas, words, imagery and more as we go, children are half-way to writing their poems before they’ve even started, and with the wealth of possibilities to choose from, they are compelled to think critically as they make their selections, and creatively, to express their own, personal concepts. 

At reading-out time, I think the children and I tend to be equally amazed at the powerful lines that ring out. Sometimes, after some singing input with my ukulele, some offerings take on a tune; other times, word wit, dry humour, drama, philosophy or some other bonus will be revealed. Certain words and images from the input may also catch hold, with different treatments adopted around the room. Some poems will be in rhyme – adventurous, apt and slick, even when I didn’t encourage any rhyme at all; others will be presented in a format all of their own.

While a few children are shy to read out, I find they’re always glad when they’ve managed it, with support as needed; others, meanwhile, will be rearing for their moment in the limelight, sometimes producing wonderfully expressive renditions, or adding in mime or sound embellishments. I never know quite what’s coming, even when I’ve been all round the tables for sneak looks and the odd spur at the writing stage.

I offer one  topic per day (just the one, for logistic reasons), adaptable from Nursery to Yr 8. My topics for next term (i.e. Autumn-Winter ’18) are: 

Autumn Leaves, Wild Woods (and their creatures), Migrating Birds, Fireworks and Winter Colours.

Finally, from next term, I’ll be including singing with ukulele with Juniors as well as Infants, in our word-building inputs. 

Any questions, or to make a booking, please email me at katewilliams.poetry@gmail.com

Kate