Poetry Program, Session I: “Red Sings”

Preparation

Step 1: Gather poetry books. Make sure to get a good, broad selection, such as A Poke in the I, Talking Like the Rain, Rolling Harvey Down the Hill, Joyful Noise, Something Big Has Been Here, Little Dog Poems, A Full Moon Is Rising, Red Sings from Treetops, Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat, edited by Nikki Giovanni, and Mammalabilia. Include some rhyming picture books, such as My Little Sister Ate One Hare, and Maxi the Taxi Dog, and some books in verse, like My People, by Langston Hughes, Yesterday I Had the Blues, or a novel in verse, like Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover.

Step 2: Choose a few poems that speak to you. Practice reading them aloud.

Step 3: Choose a mentor text poem, like Red Sings from Treetops.

Step 4: Create a prompt for the writers to finish. Select a color and a verb. Example: Blue swishes … Yellow dances …

Step 5: Create your own poem in that style.

The Workshop

Step 1: Display various kinds of poetry books and talk about the different kinds of poetry.

Step 2: Read one or two of your favorite poems aloud. Talk about rhymes. Call out words and ask children for rhyming words—e.g., call out “cat,” and the children will respond with mat, sat, at, pat, Nat, or bat. Talk about poems not always rhyming.

Step 3: Read aloud a few poems from Red Sings from Treetops, including “Red sings.”

Step 4: On chart paper or whiteboard, model writing a color poem using the example poem you have written and the prompt beginning with a color and a verb.

Step 5: Read the poem aloud.

Step 6: Give the children markers, crayons, and paper. Help with words or offer suggestions when writers seem stuck for ideas.

Step 7: Children may want to read their poems aloud. Allow time for sharing.

Step 8: Give a five-minute warning for cleanup. Remind the children when the Writing Boxes are available to use in the library. Clean up the area and put away supplies.