Wen Rumin: "Poetry Teaching" of Chinese in Primary Schools

First,' poetry teaching' and the significance of thinking training

Everyone understands why there should be poetry and literature in Chinese class. But when it comes to teaching, it is not so clear, and there may be some trouble.

Literature reading and writing in Chinese class can meet the spiritual needs of children's childhood life. People always need to daydream, especially when they are young. Literature plays a role of "dream", which can adjust life, vent, entrust or transfer emotions.

Meeting the needs of children's "dreaming" in their growth stage is not considered much in our Chinese class.

There is also a more important but neglected "reason", that is, literature education in Chinese class is also responsible for thinking training.

One of the goals of China's literature education is "aesthetics", and "aesthetic ability" in a broad sense is also a kind of thinking ability.

How to locate Chinese in the new curriculum standard of Chinese in senior high school?

"Chinese core literacy" has four dimensions: language, thinking, aesthetics and culture, among which "aesthetics and creation" are closely related to literature education.

The curriculum standard points out: "Aesthetics and creation means that students form correct aesthetic consciousness, healthy aesthetic interest and appreciation interest through aesthetic experience, evaluation and other activities in Chinese learning, and gradually master the methods of expressing beauty and creating beauty in this process."

The new term "aesthetic interest and appreciation interest" was seldom taken into account in our Chinese class in the past.

Let students "get the development of intuitive thinking, image thinking, logical thinking, dialectical thinking and creative thinking through the use of language." Among them, "intuitive thinking and image thinking" are also less concerned in our Chinese teaching.

These concepts are not only the requirements for high school Chinese, but also the comprehensive "thinking training" for primary school Chinese, especially the training of imagination and its dependent "intuitive thinking" and "image thinking".

The so-called "aesthetic and creative" ability, first of all, is imagination, and the ability of "intuitive thinking" and "image thinking" on which imagination depends. Curriculum standards put intuitive thinking and image thinking in the same important position as logical thinking, dialectical thinking and creative thinking, which can be understood as paying special attention to the first two kinds of thinking.

In Chinese teaching, when thinking ability is mentioned, thinking ability and logical analysis ability are immediately thought of, but imagination, intuitive thinking and image thinking ability are not paid much attention to. Some teachers even think that imagination is a childish thinking activity of children. This understanding is one-sided.

Second, why should we pay attention to protecting children's imagination?

Imagination is an intermediary innate ability between sensibility and intellectuality, which plays an important role in people's judgment and understanding. Imagination mainly depends on the right brain, which belongs to the outermost advanced thinking of the brain, but the imagination of normal people depends on the cooperation of many parts of the brain. Imagination has innate factors and can also be cultivated through acquired stimulation. Childhood is the golden age to stimulate and cultivate imagination and cultivate "intuitive thinking" and "image thinking". Intuitive thinking, image thinking and logical thinking are equally important, and deviating from either side will restrict the development of one's thinking ability.

Literature education in primary and secondary schools, especially poetry teaching, plays an irreplaceable role in cultivating imagination and training "intuitive thinking" and "thinking in images".

Literature education in Chinese class, including poetry teaching, should attach importance to the development of various thinking, especially the development of intuitive thinking and image thinking, and attach importance to the cultivation of imagination while emphasizing aesthetics and appreciation.

This kind of "thinking training" is very important for quality education, and it is also a compulsory course for cultivating innovative talents.

Third, the common shortcomings in poetry teaching

Children are close to poetry by nature and like poetry. Arranging poems as texts can satisfy children's nature of "being close to poetry", protect, cultivate and stimulate children's imagination, and promote the cultivation of "intuitive thinking" and "thinking in images".

For example, it may be difficult to "feel in place" just by looking up a dictionary or writing down a few articles word for word. This requires mobilizing imagination, including thinking activities such as perception, synaesthesia, impression and subconscious, to touch poetry and experience all kinds of feelings caused by poetry. Literature reading and writing, especially the teaching of poetry, can not be ignored. It is the stimulation of imagination and the cultivation of "intuitive thinking" and "image thinking".

In fact, the current poetry teaching in Chinese class is not enough to maintain and stimulate imagination, and it is far from the conscious training of "intuitive thinking" and "thinking in images".

1. What's the problem?

At present, there is a common problem in explaining poetry in some Chinese classes, that is, it pays great attention to guiding students to understand the author's "original intention" and the theme, thought and significance of the works, but does not pay attention to guiding and inspiring students to give full play to their imagination and understanding in reading poetry. This can only be said to be an incomplete aesthetic.

2. Both aesthetics are necessary.

Aesthetics should include two parts. Part of it is to seek the author's "original intention" through analysis and induction, enhance the meaning of the work and appreciate the art of the work, which can be called "traceability aesthetics"; At the same time, there should be another part of aesthetics, that is, being immersed in the works and forming a unique understanding and feeling through spiritual travel and exploration, which can be called "germinal aesthetics"

We should give consideration to both (sometimes we can focus on them) and not neglect them.

Even junior students with little life experience are encouraged to use their imagination when reading poems and experience feelings that may be rare at ordinary times, such as loneliness and missing. This is also a beneficial "emotional gymnastics" which is beneficial to the improvement of IQ and EQ.

What a pity if, after learning a lot of poems, you only remember the "knowledge" of the author, theme, thoughts, emotions and techniques, and you will tell your own experience in the mode of "what you pass through and what you show", but you can't use imagination and perception to produce * * * sounds with poems, and stay away from intuitive thinking and image thinking!

Let "poetry teaching" give consideration to both "traceability aesthetics" and "germinal aesthetics", pay more attention to stimulating students' imagination, and mobilize intuitive thinking and imaginative thinking to embrace the atmosphere and emotion of poetry. This is the real sense of wholeness.

It may be difficult for us to change the environment of exam-oriented education, but we can always make the classroom as vivid and beautiful as possible in our limited space, and take care of the improvement of imagination, intuitive thinking and thinking in images as much as possible in "poetry teaching"

As long as there is this heart, there will be ways and improvements.

Fourth, learn wisdom from the traditional "poetry teaching"

"Poetry teaching" is an old saying, which means enlightening education by learning and writing poems, and educating people through poems. The word "poetry teaching" first appeared in the Book of Rites, which mentioned "gentle and honest, poetry teaching is also". It means to use poetry, mainly the Book of Songs, to cultivate people's temperament and make them kind and educated.

Later, Confucius even incorporated "poetry teaching" into his own education system. By the Han Dynasty, The Book of Songs had become one of the six Confucian classics, and was a "required reading" for all officials and quasi-officials in ancient society, along with the five classics of Book, Rite, Yi, Yue and Spring and Autumn.

Confucius has a very special explanation for the function of poetry, and thinks that poetry can "excite, observe, group and complain". The so-called "prosperity" is to express feelings, "outlook" is to observe and understand social customs, "group" is to make friends, and "resentment" is to satirize and criticize bad phenomena.

In the Song Dynasty, Neo-Confucianism represented by Zhu further emphasized that the core of "poetry teaching" was to play the role of chanting temperament and guiding people's hearts, that is, "turning it into virtue" and "correcting its temperament".

China has always attached great importance to "poetry teaching" in ancient times, hoping to give full play to the function of poetry teaching, and ethical education is very utilitarian. The goal of its education is the needs of the times, mainly filial piety, loyalty and faith, which is no longer suitable for modern people. However, as an educational tradition, "poetry teaching" has its unique value.

Today, encouraging children to read ancient poetry is also a hope to continue the excellent traditional culture and educate people through poetry reading. There are ancient "genes" of our national thoughts and feelings in classical poetry. As China people, we must accept and activate these "genes" of traditional culture. This is an important part of the so-called cultural quality.

"Poetry teaching" has actually become a very important part of traditional culture. Nowadays, it is logical to emphasize the inheritance of ancient excellent culture and link the tradition of "poetry teaching" with the current Chinese education.

Five, the implementation of "poetry teaching" need to pay attention to the problem

1. Read and swim.

"Han Yong" refers to the repeated chanting and satire in literary appreciation, which naturally captures the blood and charm of the works. Get the overall feeling of the work. This is the basic way for the ancients to learn poetry.

Ancient poems give full play to the characteristics of Chinese, with strong musicality, harmonious rhyme, catchy reading and easy to evoke ups and downs. Zhu believes that "the way to read poetry is only familiar with connotation, and natural gas flows out of the chest, and its beauty is incomparable."

The teaching of ancient poetry should pay attention to let students feel the beauty of rhyme and language of poetry. Pupils may not know where the beauty is at the moment, but in short, they will accumulate, feel something and play a role in edifying.

Many poems memorized in childhood will never be forgotten, and different stages of life may have different understandings and feelings. This is really nourishing life.

2. Don't let reading become a "language hole"

Reading can be done in various ways. It is necessary to arrange more reading now, but not all of them should be arranged, and you need to recite freely. These are two different ways of reading. As long as the reading is correct, the pause is reasonable, and it is natural and smooth, be careful not to exaggerate the tone and take it too seriously, and become a so-called "Chinese accent".

You should also arrange more reciting, which is different from reading aloud. Reading aloud in your own way, narcissistic reading, and solitude reading may be more helpful to immerse yourself in the work.

The teacher needn't bother to explain the rhyme. The meter of poetry is a complex professional problem, which needs no explanation in primary school.

3. Emphasize "knowing" and "feeling"

There is a famous saying in ancient poetry theory: "Poetry is meaningless". In other words, it is difficult and inappropriate to interpret the words and expressions of poetry completely in line with the original intention.

"Poetry without comment" is to acknowledge the subjectivity and diversity of poetry aesthetics. Our poetry teaching should carry out this principle.

In particular, primary school students' understanding ability is relatively low, but their imagination may be richer than that of adults. Their understanding of poetry content and aesthetics may be varied, so we should pay more attention not to make rigid and standardized restrictions. "Chinese Curriculum Standard for Compulsory Education" mentioned: "Reading is a personalized behavior of students ... We should cherish students' unique feelings, experiences and understanding. "Teachers should strengthen the guidance, guidance and guidance of students' reading, but they can't replace students' reading practice with teachers' analysis, and replace students' experience and thinking with modular interpretation. We should be good at solving reading problems through cooperative learning, but we should also prevent collective discussion from replacing individual reading.

(1) Lower grades

When learning ancient poetry in the lower grades of primary school, it is still necessary to let them know roughly what is written in the poem. Understand the main idea, don't weigh every word, and explain it word by word.

Besides completing literacy and writing, teachers should also guide students to read by themselves and repeat what they can understand as much as possible.

(2) Middle school students

In middle school, I began to guide the understanding of poetry, imagine the picture and feel something. But don't be too demanding and don't do in-depth analysis and understanding.

(3) Senior grades

Senior students should gradually guide "knowing" when reading poetry, that is, understanding the rhyme and meaning of poetry, which is somewhat understandable.

When thinning poems, be careful not to translate them word for word, let alone ask for recitation and explanation, and specify answers.

Only by gradually learning to read the "knowledge" in poetry can we really teach students how to read poetry.

Tao Qian's Biography of Mr. May 6th said: "You study hard, but you don't want to know more. Every time I know something, I am so happy that I forget to eat. " Refers to the reader's associative experience of the artistic connotation of the work, and the * * * sound produced by the writer's work. This kind of "knowledge" may be vague, intuitive and impressive, but it is very important as a poetry appreciation.

"Poetry teaching" should inspire students to acquire such "understanding", which is of great help to change our relatively rigid poetry teaching.

Even if you need to master the "standard answer" because of the exam, you should explain to the students that this is only an "answer". You might as well use this "answer" in the exam, but the work is rich in connotation and can be appreciated from different angles. Everyone will have his "knowledge" and "feeling" when reading poetry, so many times you don't have to stick to the "standard answer", you can make other explanations according to your own understanding.

In short, as teachers, as long as we have this heart, leave more flexible space for "poetry teaching" and not be kidnapped by the requirements of the college entrance examination, students will certainly gain more.

Six, but multi-media.

"Flying down three thousands of feet, it is suspected that the Milky Way has fallen for nine days." No matter how you use photos or videos to express it, it is difficult to achieve the momentum conveyed by poetry. On the contrary, it may "limit" the imagination of reading, because some feelings and atmosphere in poetry are difficult to form in the picture.

Poetry is the art of language, and the language of poetry is not only refined and vivid, but also changeable and unfamiliar, surpassing ordinary language. Poetry appreciation needs to rely on the "knowledge" and "feeling" mentioned above, and needs intuitive thinking and imaginative thinking.

There are so-called "signifier" and "signified" in linguistics, and the language of poetry uses "signifier", which is very rich in meaning. However, if we use multimedia to transform this poem into several pictures, although it is vivid, it is "solidified", and all the rich and polysemous "signifiers" of the poem are solidified into "signified" This undermines the appreciation of poetry.

Activities organized in poetry teaching, including discussion, can be more in the lower grades of primary schools and less in the middle and upper grades.

As far as Chinese teaching in primary and secondary schools is concerned, the teaching of literature reading and poetry is to let students calm down and read, which is independent reading and free reading. This space must be given to students. Our Chinese class is too lively and impetuous, lacking in immersive reading and truly personalized free reading, and the teaching effect is not good, which is of course not conducive to the improvement of Chinese literacy.

Seven, more immersive reading, less meaningless discussion.

There is also a bias, which is keen on arranging "tasks" and "discussions".

For poetry teaching, it is even more inappropriate to abuse the practice of "flipping the classroom" and other forms that are greater than the content. If we teach a poem and want students to preview it, it is not impossible to give some tasks first. But the arrangement of this "task" should be enlightening and open, leaving room for students' imagination.

8. Teachers should read poems by themselves and enjoy them as much as possible.

Not everyone in primary school Chinese teachers likes poetry, but at least they should know how to appreciate it. From the perspective of professional needs, primary school teachers should become literature lovers as much as possible. They have no reason to be indifferent to poetry and literature, especially children's literature. Failure to do this will be "fatal" to Chinese teaching.

In the teaching of literary works, especially poetry, teachers should first read carefully, have an overall understanding of the atmosphere or artistic conception of poetry, and have a kind heart. Teachers themselves are moved by poetry, and students can also be moved in teaching.

Nine, the "foundation" of teaching

When teaching literary texts, especially poems, teachers should first do "immersion" reading. Even familiar works and poems should be read again "with bare hands" in order to enter the atmosphere and gain vivid feelings. They should also think of themselves as children and imagine their imaginations and feelings when reading this work. This is the "foundation" of teaching, and all teaching designs should be based on this "foundation".