New School Program: The Poetry Tool Bag

Steve offers a new program for schools called The Poetry Tool Bag. When you build a house, you need tools. When you build a poem, you need tools. The workshop's goal is to use poetry to enrich the student's written language. Steve emphasizes great writing "tools," such as strong verbs and nouns, details, similes, metaphors and the five senses. We'll read lots of poems and, if time allows, write some, too.

The Poetry Tool Bag comes in an adult size, too. Steve conducts workshops for teachers who want to use the poetry tool bag to improve students' writing. For more information and details about The Poetry Toolbag, call or email Steve.

"Steve Swinburne is a wonderful writer and teacher. Plus he's great fun! He has worked with our third graders as part of a poetry residency for two consecutive years. He shows us how the language of poetry goes straight to the heart of the matter in a direct, interesting and rich way. This was just what our third graders needed in their narrative story writing, which is a requirement on our state mastery test. Students now routinely include sharp verbs, vivid adjectives, as well as similes and metaphors in their stories." Pamela DeLeone, Reading Specialist, Maloney Magnet School, Waterbury, CT.

Lesson Plan

Writer's Toolbag--Sense Words

Writer's Toolbag--

Metaphor, Simile, Strong Verbs, Details and Alliteration

Writer's Toolbag--Self-Assessment of My Poem

Sample Poems From Students in Poetry Tool Bag Workshop

Kid's Poems inspired by Steve