Monday, June 20, 2011

"Kaboosh!" The Sounds of Creativity

I spent the afternoon at Arts Camp doing brainstorming/wordplay sessions with three groups of kids. I was there to try to prime the creative pump for the rest of the week's song writing sessions, which Dana will doing with them.

Despite some craziness (not an easy working space, some rambunctious kids in second group, and some VERY rambunctious kids in the third group) it was a lot of fun. I wanted to get them thinking concretely and metaphorically, without telling them that's what we were doing. I used one of my favorite group writing starters, where I have the kids think about a particular season ~ summer, of course, for today ~ but to think about it in terms of what it looks like, sounds like, tastes like, smells like, and feels like. I also threw in color associations and got them to think about what the season would look like and wear if it was a person. For one group, when things were petering out, I tried to get them thinking about how they'd sell summer if they could put it in a bottle. (One little girl said she'd put lots of grass and flowers in the bottle.)

It's always interesting to see where children's minds go. Their creative and imaginative leaps are fascinating. But sometimes equally fascinating is how pedestrian kids can be (and adults too, this is an equal opportunity challenge) when you ask them to try to come up with descriptors, one reason I like to push it back into the realm of the concrete whenever possible. Even after we brainstormed a whole page full of rainbow colored words and images -- most of them highly specific and related to various senses -- when we got to the part where we were putting lines down, there were kids who wanted me to write things down like "summer is fun" or "summer is pretty." How is it fun? I pressed them. What makes it look pretty?

Like I said, this is an equal opportunity challenge. Left to ourselves, we often run straight toward the easy, vague words that mean so much they don't mean much at all. The kinds of words that balloon over you like a tent, covering a lot of ground. I'd rather hear the snap of the tent as it's unfolded and the banging of the hammer as the tent pegs get smacked into the ground. And I use that image purposefully, because one of the kids, when I asked him what summer sounded like, answered "bang! bang! bang!" When I said, "what makes that noise?" he said "the hammer when you hammer tent pegs in when you go camping!"

Sound words were a definite hit with the younger kids. If I'd had more time, I would have played more with onomatopoeia. One of the sounds of summer that kept coming up was fireworks. So with the youngest group, I asked them to make fireworks sounds. They came up with "kaboosh!" which worked its way into their poem. "Summer says 'kaboosh!' like fireworks."

A fun day. Or maybe I should say a day that sizzled like sparklers.

9 comments:

Erin said...

Wonderful post, Beth! Sounds like a really fun day. I love the idea of summer sounding like tent pegs being hammered in. Certainly a sound I associate with summer! And fireworks - definitely!

Beth said...

Thanks, Erin! I loved the tent peg sound for summer too, and the fireworks. :) Though I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that summer is here...and apparently flying by!

Erin said...

Well, officially, it doesn't start till today! ;) So we've got oodles of summer left...

Beth said...

I know, I know... :) but somehow the official start never feels that official. It sort of felt like we really dived into summer when the weather turned hot and our schedules changed...and I'm already having a hard time figuring out how I'm going to get everything done that needs doing before beginning of the new school year! Still, glad to hear your reminder that we've got "oodles" left -- a word I love. And I've not forgotten that you've declared that this WILL be a good summer. :)

Edna said...

Liked this post. My first graders are fond of fun, nice, and love: I love swimming. It is fun. It is nice. Makes me want to pull my hair out! Will try to remember to incorporate more sound words--great idea!

Beth said...

Thanks, Enda! Fun, nice, and love...yep, heard all of those a lot yesterday. Isn't it funny how we have to keep pointing kids (and ourselves) in the direction of sharper words?

Erin said...

Ooh, thanks for that reminder, Beth! That is encouraging... (Hmm, maybe your word verification is encouraging too. "Barry" - as in "Manilow," as in "I write the songs that make the whole world sing," perhaps? ;) )

Yes, I know what you mean about not feeling like summer is just starting. For me, I think summer started May 7 - the day Nathan graduated. So it feels like it should be practically half-over by now!

Erin said...

Oh, and when it comes to those easy words, "nice" is a big downfall for me too. And "interesting," which becomes steadily less interesting each time I use it...

Beth said...

Erin, I'm chuckling over your comment about the word "interesting." We know it means something...interesting...but you're right, the more we use it, the less it seems to mean anything!

I think we all have lists of words we over-use as writers. You know how much I love "poignant." I've been noticing lately how much I use "thought-provoking" in reviews too. I *do* mean something real by that...certain books, especially books where I may find I don't entirely agree with the author's viewpoint...are definitely provocative and make me think. But I'm looking for new ways to capture that without it sounding so cliched!

I could also add "delightful" to my list.

Hope you have a poignant, thought-provoking, delightful day!