Reading Teacher Writes

Sharing a love of literacy with fellow readers and writers

Tag Archives: National Poetry Month


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IMWAYR: Spring Break Books

Spring Break! Yes! The weather is better, and I have time to read and listen to books this week. It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR is a weekly blog hop with kid lit co-hosts Jennifer from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. It’s a great way to share what you’re reading and get recommendations from others. We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs each week.

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IMWAYR: Appreciation – National Poetry Month

I’m taking the time to appreciate things more this week, and celebrating National Poetry Month continues with odes and “fun” poems. Last week I finished a bunch of children’s poetry books.

This week, I’ll continue to read poetry, especially Odes to Common Things by Pablo Neruda, and I’ll start a new YA novel, Love From A to Z by S. K. Ali.

It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

This meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It’s also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Kathryn decided to give “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

 


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Poetry Friday: (Golden Shovel) “Dreams”

I continue to pour over the poems in Nikki Grimes’ book, One Last Word. Ms. Grimes is an amazing poet and the “Golden Shovel” poetry is exquisite. This form of poetry is most difficult to create! A Golden Shovel poem takes a line from an existing poem and transfers each word from that line (called the “striking line”) to your own poem, as the last words in each line of your new creation.

I used “I Leave the Glory Days” by Nikki Grimes as my mentor text. The line I pulled was “The past is a ladder that can help you keep climbing.” Here’s my poem:

Dreams

When I’m stuck, I reach for the

lessons from my past.

I want to live my dreams, but it is

so difficult! Longing for a

new adventure, I climb the ladder

of hope that

someday I can

find the right people to help

me succeed. I’d take you with me, but you

don’t have the same dreams as me. Keep

on your own path. I must keep climbing.


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SOL Tuesday: April Fool’s Day and Poetry Month

Let’s Get It Started!

I’m ready to go! The Slice of Life Story Challenge ended yesterday, and it’s time to start posting Tuesday Slice of Life writing today. I’m going to attempt more poetry this month to celebrate National Poetry Month. What a great day to start — April Fool’s Day!

Anna’s post talked about immersion as a great way to begin a poetry unit. Students can enjoy the writing and then start asking themselves, “What does the author want me to feel and think?” I loved the poem I wrote for the SOLSC in March when I stole from a Ralph Fletcher mentor text — first line and last line — and then made the rest my own. I think that my students will be amazed at how thoughtful and poetic they can be when they have a place to start.  We are going to try it! Tomorrow is my scheduled “weird day” (we have computer lab and other things to do outside of the classroom), so we will have time to explore some poetry. It’s going to be a great month!

After reading a plethora of April Fool’s Day stories and poems, I thought I would begin by trying to capture a classroom, Kenn Nesbitt-style. (inspiration from “April Fool’s Day,” 2007, by Kenn Nesbitt)

                    Dolly put a spider in the teacher’s left desk drawer.

                    David emptied trash cans, then shot baskets, yelling, “Score!”

                    Andre found out Lily couldn’t take it any-more.

                    He told the teacher, “April Fool’s!” then rolled, laughing, on the floor.

I cannot believe I wasn’t caught today in an April Fool’s prank! I’m relieved I can take tonight to reminisce and regain strength for tomorrow, when somebody will probably remember to “get me.” Happy Poetry Month! Happy April Fool’s Day!