Using Poetry to Teach Writing in the Primary Classroom

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Using Poetry to Teach Writing in the Primary
Classroom

• Presented by
• Staci Wilkinson and Jamie Moody
• Lincoln Elementary - CF

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Plan for the session

• Why poetry works
• Challenges and barriers
• Sequence of lessons
• Student work
• Questions?

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What the research says

• Poetry is the genre that excites children and
  motivates them to read and write
• Should be incorporated on a regular basis
• Accessible by all children every child can be a
  poet
• The language is captivating and keeps children
  wanting and doing more

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Challenges and Barriers

• Poetry can be intimidating
• Teacher expectations can interfere need to be
  able to let go and accept what the students
  produce
• Challenging for some students
• Consistency
• Developmentally appropriate

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Sequence of Lessons

• Day One What do we know and Poetry exposure
• Day Two Examine Poetry
• Day Three Modeled Writing
• Day Four Shared Writing
• Day Five - ? Try it yourself
• Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5, integrating
  mini-lessons as you go!

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Day One

• Introduce the genre of poetry
• Brainstorm what students know about poetry
• Read a variety of poems to the students some
  that rhyme, some that are short, some funny, some
  sad
• This day may be spread over two days, depending
  on time slot

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Day Two

• Examine poetry with students
• Can use transparencies, writing and highlighting
  what the students notice
• Could also use Powerpoint, poems on chart paper,
  etc.
• Want it so everyone can see and comment
• Examine difference between poetry and journal
  writing

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• My dog is cute.
• He likes to jump and run.
• He plays with me all day long.
• I like my dog.
• He is my best friend.

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• Cute dog
• Jumping, running
• Playing with me
• All day long
• My best friend

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• The pool is fun.
• I go down the slide.
• I splash my friends.
• I love to lay on the hot sidewalk to get warm.
• Its my favorite summer activity.

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• At the swimming pool
• Sliding
• Splashing
• Getting wet
• Laying on the sidewalk warms me like a hot
  campfire on a cold night
• My favorite time of year

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Day Three

• Model the writing of a poem to the students
• Can be intimidating remember it doesnt need to
  be perfect
• Talk about coming up with a topic, word choice,
  etc.

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Day Four

• Shared writing
• Write a poem as a class
• Go through the process of brainstorming an idea,
  possibly coming up with statements or items you
  want mentioned, etc.
• Teacher does the writing on chart paper

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Day Five

• Students experiment with poetry writing
• Provide a variety of paper or a poetry notebook
  something novel
• Allow students to find the best workspace for
  them
• Possibly play quiet music
• Teachers roam around the room, assisting when
  necessary

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Possible Mini-lessons

• How to add sounds to poems
• How to condense sentences
• How to utilize punctuation
• Experimenting with word size
• Putting writing into stanzas
• Extending topic from large group or small group
  reading
• Different types of poems haikus, cinquains,
  acrostics

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Other Things to Think About

• Illustrations
• Editing
• Sharing
• Publishing
• Blogs
• Displaying
• Resources (in progress)

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Questions/Comments

• Staci Wilkinson Lincoln Elementary
• wilkinsons_at_cedar-falls.k12.ia.us
• Jamie Moody Lincoln Elementary
• moodyj_at_cedar-falls.k12.ia.us