Chapter 8- Poetry

Why children may dislike poetry

• Often memorizing and reciting puts a "bad taste" in students' mouths
• A lot of teachers ask students to find the "true meaning" which may be difficult or unappealing
• Haiku may be short, but not simple. They're actually very complex.
• This can be "fixed" by allowing students more freedom when learning about poetry

Building Appreciation for Poetry

• Find the right poet. Shel Silverstein's is a great example of lighthearted poetry.
• Use rhythmic, humorous poems to build appreciation.
• Share poems daily
• Read poems aloud
• Choral speaking- builds opportunity for playing with words and sounds
• Free verse- no structure- more freedom

Forms of Poetry

• Narrative poems- tell stories
• Lyric poems- is melodic or songlike
• Limericks- humorous poems
• Haiku- total of 17 syllables- line of 5, line of 7, and line of 5
• Reversos- two poems are created using the same words
• Concrete poems- written or printed in a shape

Building a Poetry Collection

• Make sure they meet children's needs
• Add variety
• Do not rely on textbooks to supply poetry to your classroom
• Read poems aloud
• Choral speaking- opportunity for playing with sounds and words
• Free verse- more freedom- no structure

Examples of Poetry

• "Who Shrank My Grandmother's House?" By: Barbara Esbensen
• "Tour America: A Journey Through Poems" By: Diane Siebert
• "Moon, Have You Met My Mother?" By: Karla Kuskin
• "Lots of Spots" By: Lois Ehlert
• "I'm In Charge of Celebrations" By: Byrd Baylor
• "The House" By: Patrick J. Lewis

Poetry Video

• I found this video on youtube and think this would be a good thing to add to your classroom, even if you do not have any deaf students. They can use their imagination and a good practice to not be able to hear exactly what is going on in the story/poem.