Connecting Reading and Writing: Poetry

Goals:

  • Explore different types of poetry
  • Practice reading poetry out loud

Poetry is a kind of writing.
Poets use a few well chosen words to describe an idea, or to share an emotion.
They put words on the page in a certain way to help the reader.
Poets use punctuation, line breaks, and white space on the page to show how to read the poem.
Often, the reader can find a rhythm to the poem when they read.

Read and listen to the three poems listed below.
(Note: the links for each poem will take you a page where you can listen to the author read the poem. Scroll down the page to practice reading the poem yourself.)

Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee
In the recording for this poem, Dennis Lee explains how a simple rhythm led to this famous children’s poem.

The Moon Speaks! by James Carter
As you listen to and read this poem, think about how the author chose to arrange the words of the poem and how he used bold text to create this shape-poem.

If You Could See Laughter by Mandy Coe
This poem, by Mandy Coe, is written in the free-verse style. These poems don’t use rhythm and rhyme in the same way as other poems. You have more freedom to read the poem in a way that makes sense to you.

After you listen to and read these three poems, choose one to practice reading out loud in a way that makes sense to you. Share the poem you practiced by reading it out loud to a family member.

Other Opportunities: