poetry

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Home : 2005 : April : 11

poetry
By Jade

Hi!
We too, have started a unit on poetry. A great book is by Reggie Routman, Teaching First (or any other) Graders To Love Poetry. I have the second grade book because I taught that last year, but I just modify here
and there. Free verse writing is so much easier for the kiddos than rhyming, although they all love the rhyming ones. We read sample poems and discuss what the poet was trying to get across, then we might brainstorm a similar topic and come up with a poem as a class, usually not rhyming. Then they go off and work independently on their own for about 15 minutes. Then we try to wrap up

with a sharing of a few poems. The kids love poetry! We have also done acrostic poetry. I will also teach them cinquain poetry as well. But to answer your question, the way I started I read poems and we brainstormed what they already know about poetry and I wrote it on a chart. I got them realizing that poems can be about ANYTHING. Then each day I would either start writing workshop by reading a new poem and discussing. I am planning on ending with a poetry publishing party, I also conference w/ them and have them choose 4 or 5 poems that they feel they did the best on, and I put them into a poetry anthology. Sorry to write you a book!