Read my Mind Young Children, Poetry and Learning

In this, Sedgwick's latest book, he aims to help all those involved with children and their learning through poem-writing improve their practice. He argues that through poetry, children can learn about the whole curriculum, including history and science. The book begins with an introduction outlining the importance of poetry, and defining it. It discusses poetry in terms of children's learning and the imagination. Case studies are used to show how children learn about themselves - first, their bodies, and second, their thoughts and emotions - through the writing of poetry. Using many examples of childrens work he considers how children learn about their environment and the relationship between themselves and their environment. Finally, he discusses his techniques for getting children to write and provides recommendations for further reading. Fred Sedgwick is a freelance lecturer and writer specialising in children's writing, art and personal, social and moral education and has been described as 'the nearest thing I've seen to the Pied Piper'. Previously a headteacher in primary schools for 16 years, he has published books of poetry for both children and adults.

Introduction A constant possibility of ‘Eureka!’; Part I Part I; Chapter 1 Introduction; Chapter 2 ‘I see me In her eye’; Chapter 3 ‘In the silences’; Part 1a An interlude; Chapter 3a Two central issues: clichés and drafting; Part II Part II; Chapter 4 Introduction; Chapter 5 Martians, Riddles and Snapshots; Chapter 6 ‘The dragging of dead thrushes’; Chapter 6a A note on writing about the human-made environment; Part III Part III; Chapter 7 Introduction; Chapter 8 Death and other obsessions; Chapter 9 ‘The stamping rocks and the squeaking birds’; Chapter 10 ‘Where do you come from?’; Chapter 11 ‘You are the beautiful snow that falls in Nebraska’; Part IV Part IV; Chapter 12 Children responding to poems;

Freelance lecturer and writer specialising in children’s writing, art and Personal, Social and Moral Education. He has been described as ‘the nearest thing I’ve seen to the Pied Piper’. Previously a headteacher in primary schools for 16 years, he has published books of poetry for both children and adults.