Audience Guidelines for Listening to Poetry Read Aloud

As we provide opportunities for young people to experience poetry “live,” they often need guidance in how to be a good audience. Introduce these guidelines and discuss appropriate examples and perhaps non-examples to help them prepare for a guest poet visit or poetry performance of any kind.

PREPARATION: If possible, involve young people in developing prior knowledge about the visiting poet or poetry performer(s) beforehand. They can participate in advance preparation for the event such as creating and displaying welcome signs, creating book displays, arranging prepared seating, setting the stage, etc.

The first criterion is:

1. The audience shows interest, enthusiasm, and appropriate body language.

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