WE ARE POETS AND WE KNOW IT!!!

Ask the children, “What do poets do?” As they respond comment, “You know, we can do that.  We can be poets, too!"  Encourage them to think of themselves as poets because they can all write poems!  Here are some simple prompts to begin.

ACROSTIC
An acrostic is an easy way to begin writing poetry. Model how to do this on the board by writing a word vertically. Have children to think of a word that begins with each letter. Read over what you have written, and you have a poem.

Name Acrostic

Children think of a word that describes them for each letter in their name.

Holiday or Season

Write the holiday or season and then add an adjective that begins with each letter.

Non-fiction

Write a vocabulary word from a unit or theme and then challenge children to write a word that begins with each letter.

Field Trip

Follow up a field trip with an acrostic poem.

 

BLANK POEM
Blank poems are another way children can begin writing poems. Write several lines of poetry, leaving blanks at the end of each line.  Encourage the children to fill in words that rhyme.

Hint! Do this as an interactive writing activity before asking the children to do it independently.

     I saw a pig
     Who could ______.

     I saw a cat
     Who could ______.

     I saw a sheep
     Who could ______.

     And I can rhyme
     Any time!

                                             

*Use similes for blank poems. For example, children could fill in similar lines:

     Hungry as a _____.
     Quiet as a______.
     Sleepy as a ______.
     Mad as a _______.
     Good as _______.
     Sweet as ______. And so forth…

PREDICTABLE POEMS

All children have to do is fill in a missing word, and they’ll have a poem. They can use words that rhyme, nonsense words, or words that don’t rhyme.

     I like_____.                   I want____.
     I like _____                   I want____.
     I like _____.                  I want____.
     Do you like____?           But I don’t want____.

     I can _____.                  I feel____.
     I can_____.                   I feel____.
     I can_____.                   I feel____.
     Can you_____?              Do you feel_____?

*Write predictable poems using the five senses. It looks like…It sounds like…It tastes like… It smells like…It feels like…It’s a ….

*Integrate holidays, topics of study in science or social studies, current events, characters from literature, etc. into predictable poems.

Partner Poems

Divide children up into groups of two and challenge them to write a poem with their partner. (Small groups of 4 could also be used to write and illustrate poems.)