Rhymes and Reasons: Librarians & Teachers Using Poetry to Foster Literacy

by Jane Heitman Healy

Overview

Bring out the poet in your students! These activities are engaging and easy-to-use with great ideas for quick implementation and little preparation. Poetry is a wonderful catalyst for helping students understand and appreciate written and oral language. And this book includes a variety of activities and poetry types to reinforce language elements such as the alphabet, syllables, words, and phrases. Create a fun, unique learning atmosphere with poetry!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781586830854
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/01/2003
Series:	Kathy Schrock's Every Day of the School Year Series
Pages:	120
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Jane Heitman is an interlibrary loan technician at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, CO.

Table of Contents

	List of Figures	viii
	Acknowledgements/Dedication	ix
	Introduction	xi
	The Activities	xi
	Standards Addressed	xii
	Collaboration	xii
	How This Book Helps	xiii
Chapter 1	A, My Name is Alice: The Alphabet	1
	Picture Perfect Poems	1
	Acrostics	2
	Acrostic books	3
	Anagrams	3
	Nonsense poems or foreign language poems	6
Chapter 2	Count on Syllables	9
	Haiku	9
	Grow a Poe-tree	10
	Pond Poems	11
	Cinquains	12
	Five Alive	13
	Wacky Web Tales	13
	Tanka	14
	This Day	14
	Rhyme	15
	Hear a Rhyme	16
	Rhyme Chime	16
	Resources	17
	Computer Rhymes	17
	Resource	18
	Rhyme Scheme Detectives	18
	Pick a Poem	19
	Predict-a-Rhyme	20
Chapter 3	The Wonderful World of Words	21
	Word Choice	21
	Connotation Conundrum	21
	Resources	23
	Matching Meanings	24
	Where Do Words Come From? Etymology & Word Meanings	25
	In the Beginning	25
	Etymology Forest	28
	Resources	29
	Alliteration	29
	Tongue Twisters	30
	Resources	31
	Battle of the Tongues	31
	Rise and Fall	31
	Word Swap	32
	Assonance	33
	Color Code It	34
	Vowel Speak	34
	Onomatopoeia	35
	Name that Sound	35
	Resources	36
	Diamante	36
	Batter Up!	37
	Computer Baseball	39
	Reflection Poems	39
	Diamond Graphics	41
	Go Fly a Diamante!	41
	Resources	42
	Style	42
	Grammar Matters	42
	Style Awhile	44
	The Fashion Runway	45
Chapter 4	A Turn of Phrase	47
	Observe, Describe	47
	Concrete Poetry	48
	Concrete ABC	49
	Poetry Room	49
	Really Concrete Poetry	50
	Metaphor	50
	Color Me Poetry	50
	Weather or Not	51
	Moonstruck	53
	Pop, Pop, Pop	56
	Simile	58
	It's Like This	58
	I Am	60
	Like, As, Is	60
	Personification	61
	In Living Color	62
	Personification Improvisation	62
	Picture This	62
	If I Were a	63
	Repetition	63
	I've Told You a Thousand Times	64
	Echo	66
	Potato Puppets	67
	Raining Refrains	67
	Chorus	68
	Rhythm	68
	I Got Rhythm	69
	Jump!	69
	Rap It Up	71
Chapter 5	I Think I Can, I Think I Can: Thoughts	73
	Nursery Rhymes	73
	Extra, Extra!	75
	Teaching Tales	75
	Teaching Tales II	76
	Word Order, Anyone?	76
	Narrative Poems and Choruses	77
	Musical Stories	77
	Poetic History	79
	Celebrate the Day	79
	Chart the Story	80
	It's Story Time	82
	Dramatic Monologues	83
	Take a Letter	84
	Who's Who?	84
	Who Are These Guys?	85
	Dramatization	85
	Choral Reading	85
	Resources	86
	Reader's Theater	87
	Resources	89
	Full Dramatization	89
	Resources	91
Chapter 6	I Feel Pretty: Feelings	93
	Happiness	93
	Sadness	93
	Loneliness	94
	Anger	94
	Peacefulness	94
	Hope	94
	Fear	95
	Confidence	95
	Like/Love	96
	Dislike/Hate	96
	Mood Quilt	97
	Opposing Moods	97
	In the Mood	97
	Emotion Motion	98
	Emotional Temperature	98
	Happiness Scale	98
	Emote Yourself	99
	Happiness	99
	Sadness	99
	Loneliness	99
	Anger	100
	Peacefulness	100
	Hope	100
	Fear	100
	Confidence	100
	Like/Love	100
	Dislike/Hate	100
	Glossary	101
	Bibliography	103
	Resources to use with Students	103
	Resources for the Library Media Specialist and Teacher	107
	Web sites	108
	Author/Title Index	113
	Subject Index	119
	About the Author	121

Editorial Reviews

Taking a different approach to reading instruction and support, Rhymes and Reasons is useful for librarians, teachers, or, preferably, both in fostering literacy in the lower grades. The author, a former teacher and school librarian, presents activities that use poetry and its elements to teach or reinforce basic reading skills. The book sets the foundation by starting with alphabet activities, then proceeds to build on that with ideas for teaching syllables, words, and phrases. The last sections deal with expressing thoughts and feelings through poetry. Activities are clearly presented with materials needed listed first, variations on the activity, and particular grade levels noted as appropriate. Many items also have additional print or Web resources listed at the end. A helpful item on each is the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) Information Literacy and NCTE (National Council Teachers of English) standards met by each activity. A Web site is given in the introductory material that lists the standards. End materials include a glossary, bibliography for print and Web resources, and indexes for author/ title and subject. Though the material can be used by one teacher, collaboration is encouraged and several subject areas can be brought in to the process. There are many wonderful ideas here. The directions are clear and easy to follow; the poems suggested are well chosen, and the material genuinely helpful and practical. The book can help foster not only literacy, but an appreciation of poetry, as well. Highly Recommended.” —Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

Heitman has superbly organized scores of poetry lessons and activities into a useful resource. The selections celebrate words and types of poetry-haiku, tanka, cinquains, diamante-accompanied by a bibliography of specific poems representing each type. Teachers will appreciate the project suggestions such as the mood quilt to display feeling poems selected and illustrated by students. Many activities focus on the beauty and power of language, exploring alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, personification, repetition, rhythm, rhyme, and metaphor. Appropriate Web sites for elementary students are included, along with other suggestions for the use of technology. Heitman has taken care to address both the American Association of School Librarians Information Literacy Standards and the National Council of Teachers of English standards applications for each lesson. In addition, she encourages collaboration between teachers and library/media specialists, giving suggestions and ideas to encourage that effort. A valuable, easy-to-use resource for busy educators working with children in kindergarten through grade six.-Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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