(Image by Esther Merbt from Pixabay)

April is National Poetry Month. Celebrate by reading and/or writing 30 poems in 30 days or trying the activities suggested below.  You can also visit your local library for resources, ideas, and programs.

All Ages

• Listen to poems being read aloud.  Check out https://www.poetryfoundation.org/video/77372/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers or https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/video
• Participate in Poem in your Pocket Day on April 18th. For more information, visit https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day
• Keep a Poetry Journal.  Glue a copy of a poem on one page and write or draw what it means to you (poetry response).  This is also a good place to practice writing your own poems.

Pre-K and K:   

• Nursery Rhymes:  Reread or sing some of your favorites and then challenge yourself to learn a new one.  Check out this website for some popular Nursery Rhymes:  https://bilingualkidspot.com/2018/04/23/popular-nursery-rhymes-for-kids-english/

(Most preschoolers have already been exposed to nursery rhymes since they are such a classic part of childhood. They help children develop the pre-reading skill of phonemic awareness (the ability to focus on and manipulate individual sounds in words)  because they are full of rhyme, rhythm, sounds, and syllables.)

• ABC Poem:  Write an ABC Poem. Pick a general topic such as animals and write a word that begins with each letter in the alphabet, starting with A and moving in alphabetical order all the way to Z.

1st and 2nd:

• Poet Study::  Pick a favorite poet like Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky.  Read at least 5 poems by the poet you choose. Pick your favorite poem, write 1-2 sentences explaining why it is your favorite and illustrate it.  Then have a poetry reading to share the poems. Check out: http://www.shelsilverstein.com/,  http://jackprelutsky.com/, and http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/pdfs/Prelutsky.pdf

• Senses Poem:  Write a Senses Poem.  Review the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste).  Pick a topic and brainstorm how each of the five senses describes your topic. For example:   

3rd and Up:  

• Participate in the Dear Poet Project:  The Academy of American Poets is sponsoring the Dear Poet Project in which children in grades 5 and up are invited to write letters in response to poems written and read by award-winning poets.  For more information, see https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/dear-poet-project-2019  

• Poetry Challenge: Explore different and more challenging types of poems such as  Cinquain or Diamante. Read examples of each and then try to write one of your own.  For more ideas and examples, check out: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/article-poetic-forms#cinquain

Sometimes poetry is overlooked in favor of other forms of literature.  Take advantage of National Poetry Month to explore a vast array of different types of poems and the variety of emotions and ideas they convey.