"Finish It Off" is a Great Starting Point!

Apr 13, 1999 - © Arden Davidson

Sometimes, trying to get kids to write their own poetry is about as easy as trying to get them to stop playing their favorite video game. Luckily, there's a page on the Web called FINISH IT OFF at http://members.aol.com/HOON4VR/fiomain.h... which is a fantastic starting point for kids around ages 8-12.

In this free exercise, kids are asked to read the first three lines of a poem and create the fourth line for themselves. The goals is to make it rhyme with the last word on the second line of the poem.

Then, after they've come up with their own, "finishing line," they can scroll down to see three examples, as well as a partial list of rhyming words that would be appropriate for that particular poem.

Here's an example from FINISH IT OFF at http://members.aol.com/HOON4VR/fiomain.h...

A CHORE THING

I don't mind doing laundry
when my parents don't have time
I help them out in lots of ways...

FINISH IT OFF!

1) without making a dime
2) (it's really not a crime!)
3) After all, I'm in my prime!

Some Other words that rhyme with time:

chime, climb, grime, lime, mime, rhyme

There are at least twenty poems here that kids can finish off, as well as some other ideas to get kids interested in poetry.

The copyright of the article "Finish It Off" is a Great Starting Point! in Children's Poetry is owned by Arden Davidson. Permission to republish "Finish It Off" is a Great Starting Point! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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