Author: Dom

  • Using poetry to develop an understanding of English

    an article by Frances Asti, International New Arrivals Teacher. Stanley Grove Primary Academy. Longsight. There’s a Starman waiting in the sky He’d like to come and meet us but he thinks he’d blow our minds… He told me Let the children use it Let the children lose it Let all the children boogie. David Bowie…

  • Dance Flamingo, Play Flamenco

    Frances Asti, new arrivals teacher at Stanley Grove Academy in Manchester, talks about using poetry to teach language skills.

  • I Love Those Boots

    by Dom Conlon Kiiro unwrapped a pair of beautiful, yellow boots and tugged them on at once. “I LOVE THESE BOOTS!” said Kiiro, stomping, hopping and skipping out to play. “I LOVE THOSE BOOTS!” thundered a storm cloud, gathering above her. “Give them to me.” “You can’t have these boots,” said Kiiro. “You’d only stain…

  • Isolation Inspiration

    I’m very pleased to have poems included in a marvellous new anthology put together by Chitra Soundar, Margaret Bateson-Hill and Mo O’Hara (and me). Here’s one of my poems: Corona-Song-A-Virus In we go and lock the door watch our throats aren’t feeling sore wash your hands and keep away we’ll be close another day. If…

  • This rock that rock

    The book which Viviane Schwarz and I have been working on so very hard and for so very long is finally OUT! I’m not going to tell you WHY you ought to buy it but I will post a few videos below which will hopefully make you look longingly towards the wardrobe where you keep…

  • To change the me i am

    Recent research has shown certain species of squid are able to edit their RNA (their genetic material) on the go. This is remarkable and understanding how they do it will help doctors to fight diseases in human animals too. This research inspired me to respond through poetry: specifically through a form called a VILLANELLE. Why?…

  • Treating language Like gold

    I’m a huge admirer of Frances Asti, the international new arrivals teacher at Stanley Grove Primary in Longsight. A fervent advocate of poetry, Frances has taught me much about my own use of language and so I was delighted when she asked for a poem she might use in her lessons. The poem I chose…

  • Choose To Be

    You get to choose the you you are so choose this school and you’ll go far.

  • Why The Cow Jumped Over The Moon

    Why is it that we talk about the first man on the moon and not the first cow?

  • Owd Pendle

    I’m a witch’s cat that’s the truth o that,