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The beginning of each year contains so many meaningful celebrations to bring into the classroom. For instance, Black History Month in February reminds students of the importance of examining perseverance and grit of strong African Americans. Additionally, in March, Women’s History Month teaches students are powerful females from the past and present. Luckily, the excitement continues with National Poetry Month in April! While students may not realize how expressive and creative poetry is, they will by the end of the month.
When is National Poetry Month?
The month of April is National Poetry Month! Thus, now is the perfect time to plan which poems students will read. Additionally, this month presents the ideal time for students to become authors and write their poems.
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Benefits of Teaching Poetry
Teaching poetry is powerful in the classroom. Honestly, there are many benefits for poetry’s impact on elementary students. For instance, poetry presents students with literature in a unique format. Since poems may need read a few times, students even work on speaking and listening skills through discussion. Additionally, poetry creates many opportunities to work on other skills. Whether working on compare and contrast or cause and effect, the possibilities are endless! Furthermore, poems include various concepts. Therefore, teachers can incorporate poems in multiple subject areas and include ways to understand tricky vocabulary. National Poetry Month even shows students how to be creative and expressive. By examining different poems, they see how authors express themselves in appropriate ways.
Poetry Activities
Honestly, there are so many types of poems! This means that students have a variety of poems to read. Between stanzas and rhyme schemes, every poem is so unique. Additionally, students have so many poems to use as models when they write. For instance, there are poems based on imagery, senses, and specific letters. Poetry month creates so many exciting opportunities.
- Read Poems by Different Authors
There are so many incredible authors out there! Poetry month allows students to see not all authors write long books or have illustrations. Hence, April is the perfect time for students to read poems by various authors.
- Rhyme Scheme
While some poems rhyme, others do not. Therefore, teaching rhyme schemes is often a fun part of National Poetry Month. Whether teaching AABB, ABAB, or that no rhyme scheme is needed, students usually love finding rhymes.
- Figurative Language
Poetry allows people to be so creative. Honestly, there is such a unique charm about poetry. Thus, it is the perfect time to teach different types of figurative language. Whether focusing on similes or metaphors, students will see how writing comes alive in poems.
- Author Showcase
Poetry is the perfect way to turn students into authors. Each student can write poems in different styles. The Poetry FREEBIE is one of my favorite ways to ensure students explore different types of poems. It has resources for planning and brainstorming. Additionally, it includes templates for an alphabet poem and an all about me poem. Furthermore, there are guides for poems using the five senses and figurative language.
After students write poems, it is now time to show off their work! Invite parents and other students to come into the classroom and listen to classmates share their poetry. Honestly, students will be so proud to share their work!
Students will love every minute spent writing and analyzing poems during National Poetry Month! While poetry may seem stressful at first, it is important to remind students it is just a new type of writing. Once they understand this, they will have so much fun reading and writing poems!
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