Teaching Tip Tuesday - Poetry - Discovering Poetic Elements

The best description that I have found of poetry and it's poetic elements is here:

Poetry appeals to the reader's emotions. It often gives a sharp picture (mind's-eye image) of the subject. Poets use certain devices in their work including: repetition, rhythm, sometimes rhyme, personification, metaphoric language, alliteration (the repetitive consonant sounds in a line of poetry  - "silver slivers shine in the sun"), onomatopoeia, and hyperbole (exaggeration - "he climbed near the sun"). These literary devices can be found in prose too, but you expect a poet to make greater use of them. ~ Five in a Row, Volume 1 ~ Jane Claire Lambert

Lambert also suggests that the greatest way to teach children poetry, is to read to them poetry! As you read poetry to your child, keep in mind the poetic elements and make sure to point them out to your child as you come across them.  Focus on  one or two poetic elements and then gradually add more as your child shows confidence in identifying the previously learned elements.

Below are some poetry books that Lambert suggests for young children:

Now We are Six ~ A.A. Milne

When We Were Very Young ~ A.A. Milne

The World of Christopher Robin ~ A.A. Milne (This is a volume of the previous two titles combined.) 

Favourite Poems, Old and New ~ Edited. by Helen Ferris

Joyful Noise (Poems for Two Voices) ~ Paul Fleischman (recommended for grade 4 and higher)

Sing a Song of Popcorn ~ Edited by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers


Here are a couple of Christian Curriculums that have poetry books available:

Rod and Staff - Christian Poetry for Children and Adults

Christian Light Publications - Poetry


Here's a link to the Nursery Rhyme book that is recommended in the Accelerated Christian Education kindergarten program:

Christian Mother Goose Big Book



And here's a link to another classic:

Child's Garden of Verses


Poetry Writing Teaching Plan:
1. Expose your child to several poems that include the poetic element(s) that you want to focus on (i.e. rhyming and repetition).

2. Choose a general topic for your child to write a poem about, and ask your child to draw a picture to represent the topic (i.e. winter).

3. Ask your child to describe her picture while you record a list of what is dictated.  Encourage descriptive language, but don't worry if it is not given.

4. Depending on the age/ability of your child, ask for a first line of the poem .  (For the younger child, you may provide the first line of the poem.)  Encourage your child to refer to the descriptive list of her picture (step 3) to gather ideas.

5. Continue to work with your child to create the lines of the poem, and gently encourage the use of the poetic element(s) of focus.  If poetic element(s) don't present themselves easily in the initial writing of the poem, then wait until the poem is finished to look for places to insert them.  {For example, to insert alliteration into the poem, choose a line of imagery such as, "the moon is shining bright" and encourage your child to think of "b" words to describe the moon.  A line like this may be created,  "the brilliant moon beams bright".  To insert repetition, have your child choose to repeat the last line of the poem, or to repeat the first line of the poem at the end.}

Below are a couple of poems that were penned in my home.  The five-year old wrote her poem with a lot of input from me, while the seven-year old was surprisingly able to pen the poem almost independently.  Enjoy.



Final Teaching Tip:  When writing poetry, allow your younger child to dictate the words of the poem to you, while you act as the recorder.  Poetry is about word choice, not about the fine motor skill of writing.  By having you take on the physical task of writing, your child is able to focus more on her thoughts and creativity.