Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

1. Poetry Out Loud Background

2. School Participation

3. Timeline for the Program

4. Materials and the Website

5. Poem Selections

6. Teacher Implementation in the Classroom

7. Recitation Competitions

8. Contest Prizes

9. National Finals

 


 

Poetry Out Loud Background

 

2010 National Competition
2010 Poetry Out Loud National Competition Contestants
 

What is Poetry Out Loud: National Poetry Recitation Contest?
 

Poetry Out Loud is a national program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. 

Poetry Out Loud
uses a pyramid structure. Beginning at the classroom level, winners will advance to the school-wide competition, then to the state capital competition, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, DC.  More than 100,000 students are expected to take part in Poetry Out Loud this year.

 

Who created Poetry Out Loud

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation created Poetry Out Loud

At the state level in New York, The New york State Alliance for Arts Education coordinates school participation and the regional and state events. 

 

Why was Poetry Out Loud created?

In the recent “Reading at Risk” survey, the National Endowment for the Arts documented an increasing rate of decline in literary reading, especially among younger readers.  To encourage the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry, the NEA and the Poetry Foundation are jointly supporting Poetry Out Loud

Poetry Out Loud
builds on the recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as demonstrated by the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music among our youth.  By performing great works of literature, students can master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn more about their cultural heritage.

 

Where does Poetry Out Loud take place?

Poetry Out Loud takes place in high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

 

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School Participation

 

What kinds of schools are eligible to participate in Poetry Out Loud?

Only high schools are eligible, but all kinds of high schools may take part in the program – public, private, parochial, independent, charter, etc. Even students who are homeschooled may participate. Advanced standing eighth grade students may also participate.

 

How many high schools will participate in my state?

In 2010-2011, 81 high schools and over 18,000 students participated throughout New York State.

 

Who will coordinate my school-wide competition?

A volunteer Lead Teacher will coordinate the competition in your school.  The lead teacher is a self-selected volunteer.  If you would like to be your school’s Poetry Out Loud lead teacher, contact director@nysaae.org.

 

What is the role of the Lead Teacher?

The Lead Teacher will:

  • Work closely with the Principal to coordinate the contest (e.g., select judges for the school-wide competition, promote the event, organize the school-wide competition; organize student travel to regional and state competitions, etc.)

  • Enlist fellow teachers to participate

  • Distribute Poetry Out Loud materials to each participating classroom teacher

  • Provide necessary information to, and serve as the school point person for, the State Coordinator at the New York State Alliance for Arts Education

How can I sign up to participate?

Register Online

 

NOTE: If you are a returning school you are required to fill out a registration form.

Once you submit your online registration form for your school, you must also submit a completed "Principal Authorization Form". This document ensures your school's building administrators endorsement of implimentation of the program. A PDF version of the form is available here.

I am a high school student interested in the program, how can I participate?

Only a school may register to participate. If you are a high school student, ask your English Language Arts teacher to bring Poetry Out Loud to your school.

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Timeline for the Program

 

When can my school sign up to participate in Poetry Out Loud?

Schools must sign up to participate by October 31, 2011. 

 

When should schools conduct their school-wide competitions?

Schools may begin their programs as soon as they complete their registrations and receive their Teacher Toolkits (each participating teacher will receive a toolkit).  The Poetry Out Loud anthology and the rules for the competition are available on the web: www.poetryoutloud.org

School champions and runners-up must be identified and their School Winner Forms must be registered online by January 13, 2012. Please visit the Poetry Out Loud 2011-12 page.

 

How many students can we send to the Regional Competition?

Each school may send up to three students.

 

 

When will the New York State Regional Competitions and National Finals take place?
 

Regional Competition usually occur during the month of February. The New York State Finals will be on Saturday, March 24, 2012, from 1:00PM-5:00PM at WAMC's Linda Theatre in Albany, NY .  The state champion will participate in the National Finals in Washington, DC on May 13-15, 2012. 
 
 

 

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Materials and Website

 

Will any materials be provided to support this program in my classroom?

Poetry Out Loud curriculum materials include print and online poetry anthologies, a teacher’s guide to help instructors teach recitation and performance, an audio CD featuring recitations by distinguished actors and writers, promotional and media guides, and a comprehensive website located at www.poetryoutloud.org.  Curriculum materials are available for download on the Poetry Out Loud website, which can also be used by schools not involved in the official contest.

 

When will materials be available?

All materials are distributed to each participating school September-November, both in hard copy form from the state coordinator and online for download on the Poetry Out Loud website (www.poetryoutloud.org)

The Teacher Packet, which includes a teacher’s guide, audio CDs and the poetry anthology, will be mailed to you soon after you register.

 

Can teachers request additions to the anthology?

Yes. The NEA and the Poetry Foundation plan to continually expand the selection of poems available on the website.  We will try to satisfy anthology requests whenever possible, but please remember that copyright permissions and other issues must be taken into consideration.   Poems in the public domain may be easier to include, and we cannot include poems in translation.  Please note that student-authored poems will not be included on the website and cannot be recited as part of the official competition.

 

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Poem Selections

 

Can students choose poetry outside of the poems in the anthology?

Poetry Out Loud includes an online anthology of approximately 500 poems. The students may choose from that site, as well as from the shorter hardcopy version of approximately 100 poems that has been compiled for classroom use.  Students must choose poems from the print or online versions of the Poetry Out Loud anthology.

 

Are there any other requirements for students’ selections?

It is strongly recommended that students who compete beyond the classroom level select poems of various style, time period, and voice. Diversity in the selections will offer a richer and more complete performance. For the state and national competitions, students must select one poem of 25 lines or shorter and one poem written before the 20th century. The same poem may be used to meet both requirements. Lists of qualified poems are available on the Poetry Out Loud website.

Students must provide the names of their poems and the order in which they will be recited in advance to the contest coordinator. Students may not change their poem selections or order once they have been submitted. This will enable the coordinator to have copies of the poems collated for the judges and prompter, and contest evaluation sheets prepared.

How do I notify the State Coordinator of my school winners’ poem selections?
Please submit your school winner information online by clicking here.

Please note: poem selection can be changed once a School Winner form is submitted.

Deadline: January 13, 2012

 

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Teacher Implementation in the Classroom

 

How much time will teachers need to spend implementing Poetry Out Loud in the classroom?

The entire program (including teaching time, classroom and school competitions) should take place September-January 13, 2012. Each individual teacher might spend from one to three weeks on Poetry Out Loud, although the program will not require full class periods during this time.

NOTE: The Poetry Out Loud program needs to take place during class-time, and not after-school as an extra-curricular club.

 

What students are eligible to participate in Poetry Out Loud?
High School Students in grades 9-12, and advanced standing eighth graders are eligible to participate in the Poetry Out Loud Program.
 

Schools may determine which students participate at the classroom and school-level Poetry Out Loud programs, pursuant to local and state law.  Under federal immigration and tax law, participation in state-level contests and the national finals is restricted to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.   As part of the routine collection of biographical information, you will need to confirm eligibility of your school champion and runner-up prior to their participation in the regional and state competitions.

 

Is there a creative writing element to Poetry Out Loud?

The central objective of the program is to familiarize students with the best of their literary heritage, while teaching them important public speaking skills and recitation.

 

Poetry Out Loud is not intended to replace classroom activities like creative writing; in fact, the two naturally complement one another. For that reason, we are currently creating a number of optional writing exercises and lesson plans, which will be available to teachers on the website.

Additionally, schools may plan to send writers into participating classrooms, both to coach students in performance techniques and to offer writing workshops.

 

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Recitation Competitions

 

Is there a minimum and maximum amount of time that a participant can use to recite his or her poem?

A sonnet generally takes about a minute to recite, and we are trying to keep the maximum time per poem to around three minutes.

 

Can embellishment be used to deliver the poems; i.e. movement (gestures, walking), or will participants be expected to stand and deliver the poems in one place? Can participants add any kind of sound or musical instruments for effect?

The recitation of poetry, in this context, is a bit different than theatre acting. Poetry recitation is about the poem, not the performance. No props, costumes, or music may be used. Overacting, exaggerated movements, and odd voices and accents can be distracting.  However, depending on the poem, gestures and some movement may be appropriate.

 

How long will the contest events run?

A contest event should take less than two hours; any longer than that can be difficult for the audience. There will be detailed instructions and recommendations in the Teacher’s Guide on organizing the contests, depending on the number of participants.

 

Will students have amplification as part of their delivery such as a wireless or handheld microphone?

Yes. We expect to lightly amplify participants at the Regional, State, and National Finals with a stage microphone, so volume will still be an element of evaluation.

 

 

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Contest Prizes

 

What are the prize amounts at the state and national levels?

The winner in New York State will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, to compete in the National Finals. The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. A runner-up from New York State will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. The NEA and the Poetry Foundation will be awarding $50,000 total in scholarships and school stipends at the National Finals.

 

Who covers the cost of awards and travel for the participants? 

The Poetry Foundation will provide all prizes, including travel costs to the National Finals for each state winner and one adult chaperone.  Participating school in New York State will be responsible for covering the travel costs associated with student participating in the regional and state-wide competitions.

 

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The National Finals

 

Where will the National Finals take place?

The National Finals will be May 13-15, 2012.  The site will have a main stage, full lighting and sound facilities, and comfortable theatre seats for the audience.

 

Will students have amplification as part of their delivery such as a wireless or handheld microphone?

Yes. We expect to lightly amplify participants at the National Finals with a stage microphone, so volume will still be an element of evaluation.

 

Will a podium be available on stage for the students?

Unless a student has special needs or disabilities, there will not be a podium or other furniture for his or her use. Recitation will take place on a stage.

 

Will an audience be present at the National Finals, or just the judges?

There will be an audience, including media, at the National Finals.

 

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NYSAAE • P.O. Box 2217 • Albany, NY 12220-0217
1.800.ARTS.N.ED • info@nysaae.org