Host a Poetry Reading in Your Classroom
Using poetry in the classroom is a great way to teach reading comprehension and creative writing. Reading poetry aloud teaches children read with expression, which in turn increases comprehension, and read smoothly, which in turn helps them improve the speed of their reading. Culminate a poetry unit in your classroom by hosting a poetry reading!
Instructions
Host a Poetry Reading in Your Classroom
1. Get the students hooked on poetry. Read different kinds of poems to them. Jack Prelutsky is one children's poetry author whose books are filled with funny poems that children can relate to. Try reading sad, funny, and angry poems, then ask the students to try to identify with the feelings in the poems. Soon they will be begging you for more poetry.
2. Get the students writing poems. Once they have gotten used to hearing different types and genres of poetry, teach them write their own. Start with simple haiku and go from there. Remind them that poems do not have to rhyme. Consider having the students keep a "poetry journal."
3. Set the stage. First, ask your administrator for permission to host a poetry reading in your classroom. Be sure to invite him or her to come. Send home a letter to the parents inviting them to come as well. If you have the space, you might even consider inviting students from other classes to join you.
4. Make it special. Create a special chair for the poet to sit on or a podium to stand behind. If you have access to a microphone, you could try using that as well. Consider playing soft music in the background as each child reads his or her poem aloud, or provide refreshments to the parents as they listen.
5. Reward the students' hard work. Consider creating a "Perfect Poet" certificate for each child, or ask a parent to type up the poems into a book that you can give to each student. Hopefully, your budding poets will continue to write even after the reading is over.
