Friday, September 4, 2015

Love Poetry? A Fun Addition to My Class! (FREEBIE ALERT!)

I've always wanted to make a POET TREE after seeing a few on Pinterest so I finally made one for my Firsties:


The tree was collecting dust in my basement. I knew it would find a much better home in Room B4. So I printed out the same poems that I use in my fluency binders, paired them with magnifying glasses, and let the kids read them.  They LOVE it!  But that's a no-brainer because we all know that kids love anything involving magnifying glasses! But the kids also appreciate being able to read the poems since they know them from their binders.  (When I printed them, I believe I clicked on 16 per page under multiple pages.  While they are small, my tired eyes can read them without the magnifying glass but I grab one anyway!)

Besides having them read them when they have "free time," how else can you use the Poet Tree?

1. How about looking for sight words?  (Use your MG to find the word "The" in a poem.)

2. Practice fluency.  I have students record each other with iPads while reading them.

3.  Encourage kids to create their own poems.  Type them up for them and place on tree.  Who doesn't love to see their own creations?

4. Make extras and have kids keep "A Poem in Their Pocket."  Challenge them to read it to five people that day.  

5. I've given each member of my lower reading groups a poem that we've already had in our binders. In one minute, I manage to do a quick review of skills: Use your MG to find a short a word.  A word that is the opposite of go. An example of alliteration.  

The possibilities are endless and it's just a another way to engage the class.

Thinking of making one?  Here are some free poems to get you started:



If you like the FREE September packet, check out my other packets such as the October Poems.




Have a great weekend!




1 comment:

Let's chat!