5 Reasons Why You Should Teach Poetry

Do you teach poetry in your classroom?

If you don't teach it YET, then hopefully this post will give you the courage to give it a try!

Lets dive into the TOP 5 reasons why you should be teaching poetry to your students!

1. Adds Text Variety!  

Researchers say it is important to have multiple types of texts in an educational setting. 

In fact, Teachers who have greater quality, greater quantity and a greater range of text types in their classrooms actually have kids who grow more in their reading comprehension during elementary school. (Duke, 2010)

Poetry is a great way to add variety to your instruction, and your classroom libraries.  Kids need (and want) variety!

2. Builds Reading and Listening Skills

Have you ever listened to someone recite poetry?  The spoken words have a magical, almost musical quality.  Reading poetry aloud to students is great way to model fluent reading while building listening skills.  Poetry lends itself to expression, phrasing and smoothness.

In addition to increasing listening skills, poetry is a great way to boost comprehension skills!  Poets carefully craft their verse with descriptive language---making it very easy for students to create mental images in their minds.  Visualizing is a powerful comprehension strategy!  

Check  Picture This from reading rockets, which gives steps to teachers (and parents) on how to increase mental imagery for their children. 

3. Increases Vocabulary

Poems offer students exposure to words that aren't normally used.  Poetic text is typically short, which means poets have to be very selective with the words they choose.  

Authors of poetry must use words that illicit vivid imagery and provide the intended effect when readers are interacting with the poem.  Which means....poems are abound with "juicy" new words for students to discover!

4. Builds Phonological Awareness Skills

What is phonological awareness?  Well....phonological awareness (PA for short) is the broad skill that encompasses identifying and manipulating all parts of oral language.  PA is an umbrella which has houses skills underneath (i.e. rhyming, identifying final, medial and initial sounds, syllabication, etc.).

Phonological awareness skills are ESSENTIAL  in order to become a successful reader, as they are the anchor to  written words.  

Awareness of the sounds in spoken language is required to learn letter-sound correspondences; to blend sounds together to decode a word; and to "map" words into long-term sight vocabulary. (Kilpatrick, 2015)   

When teachers use poetry in the classroom, students will be building their PA skills.  Students will be hearing rhymes, alliteration and syllabication.  

In addition, there are many activities teachers can do with poetry to build PA skills with their students.  Make sure to check out Playing with Poetry to Develop Phonemic Awareness by Mary Jo Fresh, a professor of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University.  In this quick read, Fresh provides a variety of teaching ideas that would be easy to try in you classroom!

5. Creates a Love of Reading 

I can vividly remember the first time I heard a Shel Silverstein poem.  I was in the fourth grade and my teacher, Ms. Child's read from Where the Sidewalk Ends.  I was immediately hooked!  On my next trip to the library, I checked out every Shel Silverstein book available!

 And...that's all it takes to hook a reader......one exposure!

As teachers, we want to foster the love of reading in our students.  Unfortunately, learning to read is REALLY hard work!  And...when something is hard--we don't often enjoy it.  

But, poetry.  Poetry is different.  It has that "something special" that kids crave!  

Children's Poetry Books

When we share poetry with children, it is essential that we share GREAT examples of poetry.  Some of my favorite poets are Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky and Roald Dahl.  I guarantee if you share poems from any of those authors---kids will beg for more!

Motivating Students During Standardized Tests

 Standardized testing season is upon us again.....

I have a love/hate relationship with testing.  I loathe the pressure that students and teachers might feel, but I also love celebrating the academic gains students make.

Like many in education, I don't believe a singular test score defines a student.  However, I do believe we need data on students to determine what needs the student may have.  Test scores also give us data on school and curriculum performance.  

Is the curriculum addressing the standards?  

Is the curriculum rigorous enough?  

Do we have areas we need to supplement?  

Is effective instruction being provided?      

Test scores help us ensure that students are being served, and that tax payers are getting a good return on their investment.  

With that being said, I also want to make sure students don't feel stress yet are motivated to perform at their best. To ease testing anxiety, and give my kiddos a little extra encouragement I surprise them with a fun treat whenever we have an assessment.

The gesture isn't much, but it sure makes the students smile. AND...one smile is worth it...right?!?

Additionally, the younger grades in my building "adopt" an older grade.  The younger students write positive notes to each student, draw them pictures and decorate the classroom with motivational posters!  

Check out this list of motivational ideas from Engage to Learn. Dr. Luz Martinez, an associate superintendent at Midland ISD in Texas with 25 years of experience in education, shares a list of over 15 ways to motivate students before AND after high stakes testing. 

If you are interested in lifting your kids up a little extra during testing season, check out these treat tags on TPT.  For under three dollars you get FIFTEEN different sayings!  

Best of luck during this testing season! 

Spring Break Bucket List (Teacher Edition)

 How ready are you for spring break?  Teaching is such a taxing and exhausting (yet rewarding) occupation.  When teachers FINALLY arrive at a long break....They. Are. Ready! 

All too often spring break seems to quickly slip through our fingers, and we arrive at the end of our week wonder how it arrived so quickly.  Breaks are elusive little things, aren't they? 

In order to take full advantage of your time off, I urge you to make a Spring Break Bucket List for yourself!  Bucket lists are a great ways to ensure that relaxation, fun and meaningful moments happen.

 By the end of break I want to look back on the the two weeks and have something to show for it---and I want that for you too!  

Click the image below to download this free resource!  Included in the download are multiple bucket list bingo boards.  There are two pre-filled bucket boards with lots of fun options!  You don't even have to think of your own fun--just print and start enjoying life.  Ha!  

There are also two boards that are mostly filled, but with a few blank spaces.  The mostly filled option is great if you have a few of your own ideas you want to insert! Last, there is  a completely blank board for those of you who have a brain swimming with fun ideas!

I truly hope you find this Spring Break Bucket List for teachers helpful and that you have an opportunity in these next few weeks to take time for yourself.  Spring break is the perfect time to slow down, take a deep breath and breathe fresh perspective into your life. 

 It is SO IMPORTANT that you fill your cup, so that you are ready to tackle the rest of the school year.  Remember that self care doesn't mean me first, it just means me too! 

Books to Celebrate Spring

Where ya' at warmer weather?!?

Now, chilly temperatures are my jam.....but after a few months of sub-zero temps and lots of indoor recess time...I am ready for spring! Check out the following six books, which will make perfect read alouds to honor the longer, warmer and recess outside days ahead!

It is important to note that a few of these books may be out of print, yet are widely available at public libraries or on websites like, Thriftbooks.  AND...who doesn't love a public library or an inexpensive book?    

Spring by Ron Hirschi (PreK-2)

Great photographs and text introduce students to the natural world of spring. Hirschi, who has a degree in wildlife ecology and first worked as a biologist, has written many books for children on the topic of animals, natural habitats, discovering Earth and wildlife seasons. 

Spring by Tanya Thayer (Prek-2)

Colorful photographs and easy to understand text provide readers with a basic overview of the spring season.  Readers will be introduced to the idea o how animals, plants and people adapt to seasons.

Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur (Prek-3)

This is a companion book to "Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic," where students will delight in the pleasures of spring in twenty-six short poems.  Schur uses rich vocabulary that will bring the spring season to life--especially with Leslie' Evans's linoleum-cut illustrations.  When the poems are read vertically, each poem reveals a playful acrostic--making this book a double treat for kids!    

Spring According to Humphrey by Betty Birney (Prek-2)

This is the twelfth book in the award winning school hamster series. Spring has sprung and everyone at Longfellow School is happy, including Ms. Brisbane's class!  Family Fun night is right around the corner...which adds to the excitement for many students, except Humphrey.  Humphrey wonders (and worries) about his own family.  This story will take you on a journey with Humphrey as he realizes spring comes with lots of new things that grow and change, just like his family.   

Wake Up, It's Spring! by Lisa Campbell Ernst (Prek-2)

Ernst uses playful words and pictures that match the cheeriness of the spring season.  Word of the arrival of spring begins with the Earth telling a little worm.  The happy gossip of spring's arrival travels fast, and before long everyone is celebrating the arrival of spring! 

When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes (Prek-2)

Everyone loves a book by the award-winning, bestselling husband and wife team of Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek! Henkes uses striking imagery, repetition and alliteration to get readers to really feel, smell and taste spring.  Dronzek's gorgeous paintings show the transformation of the quiet, cold winter to the joyful newborn spring. 

For more books to celebrate spring check out this list from We are Teachers  or PBS Kids!