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The KEYS Method For Teaching Poetry By Diana Detterick

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Suggestion 2
Based on the fact that learners want to feel autonomy and competence, the teacher could try a technique called “the KEYS method for teaching poetry” by Diana Detterick (2011). This technique provides certain guidelines to analyze a poem, yet, the student is in charge of carrying out the task.
The teacher starts explaining the acrostic KEYS:
K : Knowledge about the poem’s language
E : tonE
Y : whY
S : Structure
For example, in the previous poem, before showing the stanza, the teacher asks the student: “What do you know about haunted houses?”
Another possibility is to have the student brainstorm on “haunted houses” (K).
Next, the teacher requests the student to identify the tone of each stanza of the poem. In this case, he should …show more content…

When the student observes how rhymes are formed, identify the rhythm, create a picture and understand the meaning of the poem (symbolism), he can really appreciate the beauty of these written works. Eventually, this will lead him to enjoy poetry.
Explanation
According to Detterick (2011), learners can find it difficult to understand poetry since they have never seen most of the poems studied in the class. That is to say, they are not familiar with them, as a result they undergo certain level of fear and anxiety. However, as control promotes self-motivation, the teacher must provide them with the appropriate information so that students are able to perform the activities on their own (Woolfolk, 2014). Thus, the KEYS method is a priceless aid that allows students to do the task successfully.
Likewise, we can note that each step relates to activate previous background knowledge (K), develop listening/reading skills while listening/reading (E) the poem, since the student has to catch tones, develop speaking skills so as to express, support or debate opinions (Y). Then, it goes over the structure and meanings of the

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