Wednesday, May 1, 2002
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Wednesday, May 1, 2002 |
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Students Showcased Their Speaking Talents at County Festival Some of the county's best poetry reciters participated in the eighth annual Fayette County Recitation Festival recently at the LaFayette Educational Center. More than 70 students in kindergarten through fifth grade from each elementary school in the county demonstrated their oratory skills as they recited a variety poetry from funny ones which gave a new twist on traditional fairy tales to more serious pieces about the history of the United States. The students invited to participate in the festival were the winners of their individual school's recitation contest for their particular grade level. Although a panel of judges rated each student's performance, the festival was not a competition. Instead, it celebrated the individual talents of each reciter by awarding the performers certificates of participation and ribbons that reflected the level of recitation expertise the student had demonstrated. The colors of the ribbons awarded were red, notable; yellow, accomplished; green, excellent; purple, exceptional; and blue, magnificent. Judges evaluated students on their stage presence, articulation, interpretation, memory/accuracy, and difficulty of the poem. From the county festival, one student from each grade level with the highest scoring recitation will be invited to participate in the regional recitation competition to be held in the upcoming weeks in Griffin. Debbie Wheat, reading coordinator for the Fayette County School System, said recitation festivals are important because every student needs and deserves opportunities to select, memorize and recite poetry and prose. "At the heart of recitation is an evolving appreciation for the beauty of our language and specific works that are a part of our cultural literacy. For example, Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride" still captures the spirit of the earliest days of the Revolutionary War with images and rhyme not found in textbooks. Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!" continues to express in the 21st Century the pain of our nation at Lincoln's assassination in the 19th Century," Wheat explained. In addition, she adds that more contemporary works offer students humor, creative language, and unique perspectives that make poems meaningful and fun. Outside of the literary realm, recitations also give students opportunities to experience the rewards of goal setting, which requires effort, patience, and self-discipline. Reciting a poem allows students to test their confidence in public speaking in ever-increasing public venues - home, classroom, school, system, region and state. "Poetry recitations are the perfect higher-order thinking activity. Students must select a piece that is meaningful to them which requires evaluation and analysis. Then they must synthesize meaning and emotion to create the perfect pace, phrasing, and tone for the presentation," said Wheat. "I believe the selections of our students this year and the recitations of their pieces have been extraordinary. Our students have offered beautiful presentations of some very challenging pieces. We are proud of every participant."
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