National Poetry Month Begins!

I celebrate National Poetry Month every year, and every year I enjoy it even more.

I started out with a few specific ideas for the month,  but find that I am adding and adapting as I go. I keep finding new things I want to do and incorporate, and sometimes I can't fit it all in.

The first part of my quick lesson was a reading of two of the poems in this book from Lee Bennett Hopkins:

I read "The Poetry Section" by Alice Shertle and "Librarian" by Joan Bransfield Graham. 

I re-introduced everyone to the poetry section and featured titles in a simple display. It made me so happy that I had to replenish the display every day because students were checking out poetry books.

The photo above is what the poetry display looked like on Monday after the first two classes came through!

I suggested that readers find a friend and read poetry together , and this is exactly what some of them did. These two readers enjoyed Sequoia by Tony Johnston (illus. by Wendell Minor). 

With kindergarten, I read aloud "Recess" by Avis Harley and had the students illustrate what they love to do at recess. I also had them join in as I read the poem the second time. I found this poem in The Poetry Friday Anthology TEKS Version (K-5). 

Next week, I am planning on poetry readings and getting my Poet-Tree together. Here is one from a previous year:

I used this Poet-Tree to introduce poets to my readers and showcase their books. 

There are so many great ways to celebrate this special month! How are you celebrating?