[luvbug]

I am wanting to start a poetry workshop once a week in my classroom. Does anyone have any suggestions or helpful information that they are willing to share?
Thank you so much.

[mom23kids]

I did a new poem each week. Maybe some of these things might be useful to you.

[1956BD]

How about an author study of different poets?

Also look at different types of poems and compare and contrast them. (haiku, acrostic, diamante. cinquain, free verse, couplets)

Read Love That Dog. It is a great book about writing poetry.

Check out poems for two voices by Mary Ann Hoberman. They are titled You Read To Me, I'll Read To You. I believe there are four in the series. They are age appropriate and fun. I pair a fluent reader with a slower reader on each poem. I give the first part to the fluent reader and the slower reader always tries to keep up with the pace they other reader sets.

If you can, get a Magnetic Poetry set for students to use. I have mine work on the side of my filing cabinet. It is a different way to write that they enjoy.

Give your students the gift of poetry on each holiday. A poem for Halloween, Thanksgiving... My favorite for Thanksgiving is, "The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven" by Jack Prelutsky. I give my students a copy with just a handwritten note from me at the bottom on the day we leave for our holiday.

Check out the website Giggle Poetry for more ideas.

[twinmom+1]

mom23kids- what grade did you do that for?
very organized

[cca]

I don't know what grade you teach, but our Language Arts teacher did a Poetry Cafe unit. The kids wrote different kinds of poems: spiral poems, acrostic, etc and actually wrote them in a small book. When they had completed the unit, they held a poetry cafe. They decorated the Library with lava lamps and such and dressed like hippies and read their poems to the parents and the classes that visited. They also served refreshments, but that isn't necessary. It was pretty neat.

[luvbug]

Love the ideas! Thanks!