Looking for the perfect spring-themed poetry bulletin board to put up in your classroom? Why not have your kiddos write some spring-inspired poems? Poems can make the perfect bulletin board display while also giving your students the chance to hone their poetry skills. I like to give my students the opportunity to explore poetry throughout the year, both by reading and writing it.
When teaching poetry writing, I try to keep the process fun, exciting, and full of choices! Looking for some pointers? Here are some tips for teaching poetry-writing to your students.
Demonstrate Poetry Styles
When people think of poetry, they often think of rhyming couplets. But, poetry is so much broader and varied than rhymes. Rhyming can play a big part in some poetry styles. However, there are also free-verse poems, acrostic poems, black-out poems, haikus, and more, that don’t rhyme at all.
Introduce your students to these many types of poems and encourage them to try their hand at writing a few of them.
Steps for Teaching a New Poetry Ideas
When teaching a certain poetry style, here are some steps to follow:
- Read an example of that type of poem.
- Teach the rules for that poem including rhythm, rhyming, or any other rules. Point the rules out and how they’re followed in the example poem.
- Demonstrate by writing a poem in that style on the spot with help from the class.
- Encourage students to write their own rough drafts.
- Have students peer-review each other’s poems to check that all of the rules were followed.
- Create the final draft!
Encourage Collaboration
Poetry is more fun when it’s a group endeavor! Encourage children to use each other as resources for brainstorming rhyming words, counting syllables, or giving feedback on each other’s poems.
You can make thinking of rhyming words a whole class activity by creating a “rhyming corner.” On a corkboard, offer children manila envelopes cut in half. Have children write the word they need a rhyme for on the front of the envelope and tack it to the board. Then, other children can suggest rhyming words by writing them on slips of paper and putting them in the corresponding envelope.
Give Choices
Offer children a variety of topics to choose from when writing poetry. For example, instead of asking children to write a poem about a rabbit, ask them to write a poem about their favorite animal. With choices, children are more invested and motivated in the task.
Spring Poetry Bulletin Board
Do you need some help putting a spring poetry-writing unit together? My Spring Poetry Bulleting Board resource is perfect for this! Inspire your students to write free verse and acrostic poems with this resource that focuses on spring topics. The resource will offer your students a template on which they can write their final draft. Then, all you have to do is put up the gorgeous results on your bulletin board! This resource is also available digitally for distance or remote learning.
Book that I love using for teaching poetry
- Poems for Kids: Over 600 poems for teaching poetry terms & poetic devices to children in grades 3-6
- Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings
- A Light in the Attic
- Rainy Day Poems
- Days Like This: A Collection of Small Poems
- The Random House Book of Poetry for Children
Spring Poetry Freebie
If you are part of the exclusive freebie group be on the lookout for the release of this Poetry freebie coming to you in your inbox! If you are interested in joining take a peek here!
Do you have questions about this resource or how to teach poetry writing? Get in touch with me on Instagram or send me an email at thelittleladybugshop, I would love to hear from you!
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