National Poetry Month is April

Posted by Debbie DeSpirt Apr 9, 2008

Celebrate National Poetry Month in April with your students. Poetry is an excellent reading choice as the material is usually short but there are a grand assortment of activities that can be utilized from one poetry piece.

In class, I always have a few poems to read to the class, in those few minutes between classes or to quiet a rowdy class. Most children in the primary and junior grades begin to quiet and settle when a teacher begins to read an enticing poem. Students begin to sssh their neighbour to hear the words because there is usually no picture.

April is a great opportunity to highlight poetry to your students because it is being celebrated in schools across North America. It is a time for teachers and students to share their favourite poems. Teachers can share with their class or with all students in the school during morning announcements.

I appreciate poetry because in a few short sentences I can be smiling or relate to the emotions of the character in the poem. A poem makes me think and read between their lines. As a teacher, I want students to be able to appreciate reading in all styles and I feel poety is is an enjoyable read.