Poetry As Prevention: Spoken Word Poetry Supports Academic and Emotional Growth for Middle School Students

Spoken word poetry (SWP) has long been a part of marginalized communities, primarily occurring in spaces outside the classroom at open mics and slams. As its popularity has grown, teachers have begun to incorporate SWP into their curricula, and school districts have sought evidence of its effectiveness. As part of the Middle School Quality Initiative, middle schools have begun to incorporate a spoken word poetry curriculum into their English Language Arts classrooms in the hopes of preventing academic and social and emotional problems. Methods: Our mixed methods design combines data amassed from standardized tests, questionnaires, observations, student focus groups, teacher interviews, and student poetry. We used propensity score matching to compare the standardized test scores of 218 middle school students exposed to the intervention with 317 similar middle school students (matched on race, disability status, Free or Reduced Price Lunch status, English Language Learner status, and baseline test scores) who were not exposed to the intervention. We also analyzed 228 pre- and post-program questionnaire responses, and conducted twelve focus groups with 65 students and interviews with eight teachers to determine the potential effects of such a program. Results: Our findings demonstrate that students who participate in the program showed greater improvement in reading comprehension than their matched peers, and that students who participated in the program demonstrated growth in writing ability, communication skills, interest in poetry, self-confidence, self-reflection, and social consciousness. Further, students and teachers reported greater sense of community among students, increased engagement in course material, and improved relationships between students and teachers. Finally, we found differential benefits for struggling students, as we stratified findings based on grades in school and in English Language Arts. Conclusion: These findings speak to the need for the inclusion of non-traditional pedagogical methods as a means of fostering both academic success and emotional growth. The outcomes of our study will inform the implementation of SWP locally and the development of statewide curricula and best practices for instruction.