Question

Notes on how to teach english poetry effectively

Answer 1

Grades PreK-1:Rhyming CircleStudents sit in a circle, taking turns saying aword that rhymes with the word the teacherassigns. When a student recites the correct rhyming word, the ball will be rolled to them. The student with the ball then says a word for another student to rhyme, and so on, as the ball rolls back and forth across the circle. For example: Teacher - cat, Student 1 - mat. Student 1 receives the ball.Student 1 - big, Student 2 - wig, and so forth.A variation of this game is to pass the ball around the circle with each student rhymingthe original word. When a student can no longer rhyme, they give the ball back to the person before them, that person presents a new word (teachers can help if needed), and then, passes the ball to the next student.Grades 1-3:Five Senses PoemThe teacher suggests a list of familiar objects to write about in the creation of their Five Sense Poems, and then each child selects the topic they want to write about and completes the following template.·Title (Name of Object)·Line 1 -Looks like . . .·Line 2 -Sounds like . . .·Line 3 -Smells like . . .·Line 4 -Tastes like . . .·Line 5 -Makes me feel like . . .Grades 2-5:Nonsense PoemsAfter reading some nonsense poems aloud,like Shel Silverstein’s,Runny Babbit, the children are asked to discuss which words are real and which are made up. The children are then asked to create their own poems using real and made-up words. To simplify the process the teacher or parent can start by making up the first line of the poem or giving the students a few made-up words.Grades K-5:Students in grades K-5 will also enjoy creatingName Poems, Haiku, and Lanterns. Students do not have to be exact in rhyming or form, the important thing is to have students expressing themselves poetically. Becoming proficient in form and rhyme can come later, as the student matures as a writer.Use famous art as prompts for students to write their original poems. This not only promotes art appreciation, but also develops their language art skills.