Elementary Poetry:
Teaching Reading With Poetry

Reading poetry aloud has been shown to make significant gains in students' oral reading fluency. Poetry provides richer vocabulary experiences that students do not get from everyday oral language.

It has also been shown that poetry, with its short, concise thoughts, is an excellent way to help students at risk of failure learn to read.

Elementary Poetry Lesson Plans

I always introduce the poetry lesson by reading poetry aloud to the students - let them hear the text first and be drawn into it! Do not let them see the poem yet - just listening. I do everything I can to make if a lively reading, using good read aloud techniques. My modeling prepares the students for the reading fluency activities to follow, as well as the comprehension piece later in the week.

At this point I will display the poem on the SmartBoard (or you can use a transparency on an overhead). I then read it again, using the same intonation and expression, along with actions if appropriate. After the second reading, we scoop the poem together (usually as an echo reading), and I will clarify any unknown vocabulary words that are essential to the meaning of the poem.

"Scooping" refers to how we read in phrases, not short words. 3-4 words is a scoop. Give a visual representation of a scoop by using your finger to scoop up the words as you read them out loud. Do an echo read after each scoop (the children repeat what you just read).

This is essential teaching reading with poetry because it provides modeling and a lot of support. You are showing the children what it sounds like to be fluent, they have the security of reading with others and it provides a way to re-read the text.

I know this may sound very repetitive and maybe even boring, but it's not. Repetition is absolutely critical for developing fluency - repeated readings (10 times or more) are essential to achieve automaticity. As for boring - if you made the poem exciting from the beginning, the students will be dying to read it over and over again.

Keep the groups to no more than 4-5 students. If you go too large, the less fluent readers will be lost amongst the stronger ones, instead of being adequately supported. They will give up and not try, so keep it small and less intimidating.

Give specific instructions for how to practice in a group: students must scoop the phrases, use the expression and intonation you modeled, stay on task, and time is up in 10 minutes. This is a procedure that you can follow for every lesson

Visit Classroom Management for tips on training student in classroom procedures.

Reading poetry aloud is my students' highlight of the lesson. They love to get up as a small group to perform elementary poetry. Realize that they will mimic you and whatever your actions and intonations were with the poem. That is a good thing as that means you modeled well (hopefully!) and they feel that it is valid support to rely on and copy from.

Some students will get very creative and put their own expressions and intonations into the poem - that's great because they are applying the meaning of the poem in a way that is applicable to them (reading comprehension!). Support their efforts and encourage this.

How many repeated readings have we now done? At least 5-6, and maybe even more depending on how certain small groups worked together. Now your students will feel confident enough to revisit this poem independently throughout the week and with a buddy. This means they will be taking charge of their own learning without even realizing it!

Each child should have an elementary poetry journal. This is a composition book that will contain any elementary poetry you read as a class or poems that the students have found during their Independent or Buddy Reading time.

I have the students glue the poem on one page and illustrate it on the page beside it. The illustration could show the setting, problem, solution and/or characters. This is comprehension. Always discuss these story elements before they illustrate so they know what you are expecting. Tell them what you want - it is not a lesson on guessing what the teacher is asking for. To guide you, use the summary of a story chart.

I do . Not on how well a student draws, but does it support the meaning of the poem. If it does not, yes, I make the child redo it. There is nothing wrong with redirection and having to redo something. This is how they will learn what quality work is and that it does matter.

**Stop the lesson here if you haven't already. The next day will be comprehension and word work.**