After reading a poem with your students, read it again clapping the number of syllables in each word. You could also snap, stomp, hop or make other movements for the syllables.
*Challenge children to identify words with one syllable. Can they find words with two syllables? Can they find a word that has the same number of syllables as their name?
Rhyming Words
*Challenge children to identify words with one syllable. Can they find words with two syllables? Can they find a word that has the same number of syllables as their name?
Rhyming Words
Following a reading, mention that you heard words that sounded alike at the end. Repeat two of the words that rhyme. Let’s read the poem again and see if you can listen for other words that rhyme. As children find words that rhyme, highlight them on the poem with highlighting markers or tape. Write sets of words that rhyme on the board. Underline the letters that are the same. Have children think of other words that have the same sound at the end. Write the rhyming words on the board as the children call them out.
Alliteration
Alliteration
Read poems that have strong alliteration. Ask children to identify words with the same beginning sound. Highlight the words in the poem or list them on the board. Can children add other words to the list that begin with the same sound?
*Just for fun, choose an initial consonant sound and alliterate each word in a rhyme. For example: Bumpty Bumpty Bat Bon Ba Ball. Bumpty Bumpty bad ba breat ball…
Letter Recognition
Glue magnetic letters to the end of craft sticks. Pass these out to the children. Can they find their letter in the poem and match it up?
*Make a “magnifying glass” by twisting the end of a pipe cleaner into a circle. Have children use it to “spy” letters that are in their name.
Predicting
*Make a “magnifying glass” by twisting the end of a pipe cleaner into a circle. Have children use it to “spy” letters that are in their name.
Predicting
Before reading a poem, encourage the children to look at the title or illustrations and predict what the poem might be about.
Context
Context
As you read poems, stop and leave out a word. Can children supply the missing word?
Punctuation
Punctuation
Ask children to identify punctuation marks in poems. Read with and without punctuation and discuss the difference.
*Take 3 jumbo craft sticks and draw a period, question mark, and exclamation on one end. Place sticks at the end of a sentence and see how the punctuation changes the meaning.
High Frequency Words
High Frequency Words
Highlight word wall words that are in poems. Pass out flash cards with words and challenge children to match them with words in the poem.
Parts of Speech
Ask children to identify verbs, nouns, and other parts of speech in poetry.
Comprehension
Parts of Speech
Ask children to identify verbs, nouns, and other parts of speech in poetry.
Comprehension
After reading a poem, ask appropriate questions that will develop comprehension skills. Is there a main character? What was the setting? When did the poem take place? What happened at the beginning? Middle? End? Was there a problem or resolution? What will happen next? What was the main idea?
