Assessing your pupils' poetry                                 by Sue Dymoke

Poetry is deemed by many teachers to be 'notoriously hard to assess' (Andrews 1991: 75) but if teachers (who are not generally novelists or newspaper reporters) are able to mark responses written in prose, chosen from a range of genres such as letter, diary or narrative, then should they not be able to assess poems too?

There are many reasons for uncertainty about assessment. These include a fear of intruding or passing judgement on the personal experiences which can be evoked in children's poems. A teacher's lack of confidence in his/her own ability to write poetry can also be a major factor. The lack of familiarity with the poetry writing process does present a challenge to teachers at all levels. There is a real need for practitioners to write poetry in the classroom in order to contribute meaningfully to the writing dialogue. Andrew Stibbs describes the need for this approach most vividly:

'teachers encourage... writing poetry by writing it themselves: unless teachers do that they are tailor's dummies in a nudist colony - very bad manners.' 
(Stibbs 1981: 49)

poetryclass can certainly support teachers to develop their skills in this area.

These pages offer some practical advice about assessing poetry together with suggestions for further reading. This advice is offered in the firm belief that

1. children's own poetry can be assessed;
2. opportunities for written poetry assessment should be more fully integrated into the curriculum;
3. any assessment needs to build on the poetic writing challenges which pupils have previously experienced. 

Progression

After interviewing and observing other teachers at work I have concluded that pupils who make progress with their poetry writing are:

• developing a greater awareness of the writer's craft (including use of structures and techniques to inform and inspire their own writing;
• learning to draft (and, in some instances, to work with a drafting partner);
• learning to look critically at their own work and to accept constructive criticism from others;
• developing figurative writing and imaginative selection/use of vocabulary;
• moving away from constant use of rhyme or 'rhyme for rhyme's sake';
• extending their understanding of what could be potential source material or subject matter for poetry;
• moving away from over reliance on the pattern or form of a model; 
• making independent, deliberate choices to write a poem (rather than an alternative generic form). (Dymoke 2000: 28)

Writers of poetry need to be readers too. The National Literacy Strategy Framework includes an objective for text level writing in Yr 7 which states that pupils should 'make links between their reading of fiction, plays and poetry and the choices they make as writers' (DfIEE 2001 :24). If pupils are to sustain their progress in writing they should continue making connections between what they read and how they write both in and out of the classroom. They should be given opportunities to enjoy poetry, to savour its sounds and images and not to brow beat it for meanings.

Some assessment strategies

A regular assessment dialogue (both written and spoken) should take place with pupils. Wherever possible the dialogue about reading and writing poetry which has developed throughout the drafting process should continue during the final assessment stages. Formative assessment should offer guidance about the ways in which pupils might progress in learning, linked to a clear conception of the curriculum and its learning goals' (Black 1998: 26). There is a fine balance between advice and heavy handed intervention. Assessment comments could be open ended and include questions, examples, references back to previous work as well as to potential new poetry projects. For example: 

You have really started something here! This poem has great potential to develop into a sequence. If you like that idea we can talk about how you might do this.

Well done. You have tried hard to choose verbs which convey the slow clumsy movement of the animal in your poem. How do you think you could structure the lines to emphasise this slow movement even more?

You are using visual images well here. How easy do you think it is for a reader to experience the sounds you describe in your poem?

Have you thought about writing a companion poem with the same structure which gives a contrasting point of view?

Some striking ideas which sometimes remain too hidden. You might want to think about your use of line breaks here so that all your words can really work for you. Try reading your work aloud again. How does it sound with the breaks as they are? With the breaks in different places?

This is a very lively original piece. Now you have clearly established your view it might a good idea to look at how other poets have tackled this subject. You would find poets such as... interesting. Why not have a look in the poetry book box or on the internet?

Assessment should not be based on the 'once a term poem'. Such assessment is unfair to the writer and can give an unrealistic picture of his or her progress. Begin by basing assessments on a small group of poems written during a poetry unit. Once more confident, you may feel able to consider individual pieces. When taking this approach try to ensure assessment occurs regularly so that pupils can build on their achievements.

Be selective in assessments. If pupils are writing poetry regularly and using draft books they should, to some extent, be able to negotiate which poems will be formally marked. Do not try to assess every poem.

Use Self and Peer assessment. In order to develop real shared writing practices all writers should be encouraged to reflect critically on their own and other's work both during drafting and when the poem(s) have been completed.

Ensure there is an appropriate match between the task(s) and the desired outcomes? It is important to ask if the task is a viable one for poetry assessment: are the pupils actually being assessed for their progress in writing poetry or is the assessment really concerned with whether they have demonstrated an understanding of abstract nouns or alliteration? (If the latter is the case the assessment might need a rethink: poems should be judged as poems.)

Ensure that the purpose of assessment and the chosen assessment objectives are clearly explained to pupils. It is accepted good practice to share these with pupils at the beginning of a unit of work and to ensure that they are expressed in terms which the pupils will understand. Use objectives sparingly. As Debra Myhill warns, do not 'obscure the learner behind a morass of things to be taught.' (2001: 18). Pupils can also be involved in negotiating and devising assessment criteria.

Use the 'model' poem as an assessment tool. It is common for pupils to write poetry based on a model. When using this approach it is important to establish with young writers:

i) how they might use the model in their own writing (these alternative ideas should be starting points not a definitive list);

ii) how the influence of the model will be considered when their work is assessed.

It may be appropriate to identify some specific features which an assessor will look for but the key word here is flexibility. An assessor should not be looking for a slavish copy of the original but evidence that a writer has used the poem to inform their own original work in some way and been able to make their own language choices. (Of course this could include complete rejection of the model!)

When selecting models and planning how to teach them, try to ensure that the end results will not involve marking thirty almost identical poems. While it might be easier to compare the poems for assessment purposes it will not help pupils to develop as independent original writers and the marking will be very tedious! Allow time for exploration of ideas and layers of meaning of the poem as a whole rather than a quick ten minutes to soak up a template. 

If a writing frame, based on a model, is being used ensure that pupils do not have to adhere rigidly to suggested formats. Encourage them to break out of the frame. Although writing frames may be time saving and provide valuable support for students, too often they are unnecessary props which can stifle originality.

If the class has a wide ability range it might more appropriate to introduce several poems which present different levels of challenge and are thematically or stylistically linked. Pupils can then make choices about which poems they might like to use as starting points with the result that they might combine elements from several poems and feel able to experiment more with language. When using one model for the whole ability range, ask more able students to include a brief commentary which demonstrates how they have used the poem as a starting point for their own work.

Use commentaries. Commentaries can help to make the writing journey explicit by enabling pupils of all ages to reflect on the drafting process. A thoughtfully written or taped commentary can actually rescue a flawed creative piece if the writer can demonstrate an understanding of how they have used language and whether their choices have had their intended impact. This is not to say that every poem should be accompanied by a commentary but judicious use of this approach will inform future drafts.

Commentaries can included in original writing GCSE coursework to accompany drafted poetry (both for the current and 2004 specifications). If a pupil is writing in the style of a poet they are studying for examination the commentary provides an invaluable link between the processes of reading and writing poetry. It enables the reader to arrive at a deeper understanding / appreciation of the poet's work.

In Original Writing, Peter Simpson advises A' level English students that it can sometimes be helpful to write 'a pre-commentary in which you set out what you hope to achieve and how you hope to achieve it' (Simpson 1999: 73). This pre-commentary then becomes a starting point (at the end of the writing process) for reviewing whether writing intentions have been fulfilled and how the drafting and / or research processes have initiated changes.

Further Reading about Assessing Poetry

Not much has been written specifically about assessing poetry but the following texts should give you further food for thought. If you have recommendations to add to this list we would be pleased to hear from you. Please email them to poetryclass@poetrysociety.org.uk. 

Andrews, Richard (1991) The Problem with Poetry, Buckingham, Open University Press

Atkinson, Ann, Cashdan, Liz, Michael, Livi and Pople, Ian (2001) 'Analysing the Aesthetic: a new approach to developing criteria for assessment of creative writing in Higher Education', Writing in Education, Issue No 21, Winter 2001, York, NAWE pp 26-28 

Bearne, Eve (2002) Making Progress in Writing, London, RoutledgeFalmer

Black, P. (1998) Testing: Friend or Foe? London, Falmer Press 

Carter, Dennis (1998) Teaching Poetry in the Primary School, London, David Fulton

D' Arcy, Pat (2000) Two Contrasting Paradigms for the Teaching and Assessment of Writing, Sheffield, NAAE / NAPE / NATE 

DfEE (2001) Key Stage 3 National Literacy Strategy, Framework for teaching English: Years 7, 8 and 9, London, DfEE publications

Dymoke, Sue 'Taking Stock of Poetry', The Secondary English Magazine, Vol 4, No 2 December 2000 pp 28-32

Dymoke, Sue 'Taking Poetry Off its Pedestal: the Place of Poetry Writing in an Assessment-Driven Curriculum', English in Education, Vol 35, No 3, Autumn 2001, pp 32-41

Dymoke, Sue (in press due Jan 2003) Drafting and Assessing Poetry, London, Paul Chapman Publishing

Myhill, Debra (2001) 'Writing: Crafting and Creating', English in Education, Vol 35, No 3, Autumn 2001 pp 13-20

National Writing Project (1990) Ways of Looking, London, School Curriculum Development Committee, Thomas Nelson

Riley, Jeni and Reedy, David (2000) Developing Writing for Different Purposes, London, Paul Chapman Publishing

Simpson, Peter (1999) Original Writing, London, Hodder & Stoughton

Smith, John and Elley, Warwick (1998) How Children Learn to Write, London, Paul Chapman Publishing

Stibbs, Andrew (1981)'Teaching Poetry', Children's Literature in Education, Vol 12, No 1 pp 39-50

© Sue Dymoke, for use only on the www.poetryclass.net website.  Permission must be granted by the author for adapting this article for any other purpose, by contacting   poetryclass@poetrysociety.org.uk. 

Sue Dymoke's book Drafting and Assessing Poetry: A Guide for Teachers was published in January 2003 by Paul Chapman publishing, 210 pages, Cloth £60.00 ISBN 07619 48646, Paper £17.99 ISBN 07619 48554, order from Sage Publications at +44 (0)20 7330 1234 or visit www.PaulChapmanPublishing.co.uk.

"Every English department should buy this remarkably comprehensive book".  Dr. Mark Pike, Lecturer in English Education and Head of PGCE English, University of Leeds.

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