Make a List.... Write a Poem

Make a List..... Turn it into a Poem

It is that time of year when school and the students get a little crazy!

Here is a fun and easy poetry activity! I recently taught this to my first graders and they loved it!





1. Choose a topic. I chose "students" to model my brainstorming and poem writing!
2. Have each student tell you one word to describe the topic. I put them all on chart paper.
3. Because I was working with first graders, I circled my favorite six words.
4. I write and model the format of my poem:

Students
by: Literacy Teacher

Learn!
Listening
Make friends
Reading
Respectful
Play math games
Smile!
Have fun!

5. I ask the students to tell me their topic as they go back to their desks.

The students enjoy writing and sharing their poems with their peers!
Happy Writing !

Poetry Fun!

Poems are a wonderful resource for literacy instruction. I introduce two new poems a week with the students I tutor.

One fun activity students  love is what I call "The Mixed Up Poem"

During my introduction of the poem, I use a form of choral reading. I read a line and I have the student repeat the same line while tracking each word with a pointer. Then I read the poem a second time so the student can stop me when he/she hears any rhyming words. During the rest of the week, we reread the poem and work on "The Mixed Up Poem" Activity.

I provide the student with a bag full of words. The student works to reassemble the mixed up poem. I have even timed the student, so each day he/she can play "Beat the Clock" when reassembling the poem. It is possible to even make this a center or activity with a timer so students can track their own progress.

As the year progresses and the students improve, I give longer poems! I make sure to use this activity every other week, so students look forward to it and it never becomes boring for them!

Happy Reading!

Happy April

April... So Many Possibilities !

Two of my favorite things about April:

Poetry Month!! Take some time and have a random "Poetry Break" in your classroom. Read aloud some funny Shel Silverstein poems or spend some time writing and publishing a poem! One of my favorite website for funny poems is Giggle Poetry


D.E.A.R. Day on April 12! Take some time to drop everything and read on this day! This can be a classroom activity, a reading buddy activity, or even a school wide event!

Happy Reading!!

My Favorite Poem

Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" by Shel Silverstein

1. Visualization: I read this poem aloud twice. I ask the kids to draw a house filled with the garbage Sarah did not take out!

2. Alliteration: This poem is filled with this poetic device. It is even in the title. I introduce the concept and give some examples. Then each student gets a copy of this poem and reads it aloud to a partner. The partners then underline all the examples of alliteration. We then write our own alliteration poems.

3. Word Choice: This is a great way to teach this writing trait. First I hold up an empty mini trash can. I ask the kids to describe it which isn't easy because it is empty. I then add different objects to the trash bucket and use descriptive words and then discuss word choice. Next, I read the poem to my students asking the students to write the descriptive word and phrases that stick out. After my second reading of the poem, we discuss the word choice the author used and why. The students attempt to write their own poem with descriptive word choices. 

Happy Writing!