I just started it this year. The kids record the poems that we read that we read together off sentence strips during the week. We started out with "Who Stole the Cookie" because we did that with names the first week and then some nursery rhymes, like "Little Miss Muffet". Since they really don't have very good writing skills I printed them out on the computer and left blanks for pictures - so we made them more rebus rhymes. They just glue them line by line into the journal and fill in the pictures. Eventually, I'm hoping they will be able to copy them into the journals.
We have poetry notebooks. Every Monday I place a new poem in our pocket chart. I try to tie it into the season or something we are studying. We recite it daily, find sight words, replace words with pictures, learn sign language words that are in the poem, etc... On Friday the children illustrate it and add to their poetry notebook.
I love that idea! i never thought of doing poetry journals. i have a daily writting journal, but what a great idea of doing a poetry journal. OOoh, i can't wait to get started on those!
Ad65shorty. My 2nd grade class loves the poetry journals. I post the poem, we recite, talk about, I print them out ,they cut out glue into their journal and decorate, I send home on friday , parents sign that they have read. They are so proud of the poem and their artwork.
Thanks for the replies so far! This may seem obvious, but... How do you store the poems? Do you put them in notebooks? Are they on full sheets of paper or halves? Do the kids keep their journals at school or do they go home? If they go home, do they stay home or do they come back to school? I need DETAILS!! Thank you!
I teach first, too. We post the poem on Monday and do the literacy activities mentioned above each day with the big poem. Then on Friday, I have copies of the poems on regular paper and they illustrate them. At the end of each nine weeks, we will colate them into poetry books that they can take home and read to their families and keep. In the meantime, I just have them piled up in paper clips in a basket on my table. Sometmes, I have an art project to go with the poem and we put the big poem and art in the hall. The big poems are laminated and I have a big roll of laminated big poems in my closet!
Each child has a report type folder (clear plastic with a slide to hold the papers) The children keep them at school till June then we send them home. I keep them in a basket in my book area.
We record them in a composition book and they stay in school. I'm afraid if we sent them home before they were done, some wouldn't come back. But the kids can choose to read their poems when they do silent or partner reading.
I use three ring binders. They work great. My poems are photocopied on full sheets of paper. Simply punch holes and the kids can put them in the binders themselves. They keep them at school all year, but I share them with parents at conference time.
OK, KInder, I love the binder idea! I am picturing like a 1/2 inch binder...How much did that cost? I'm thinking I can get some and start this before conference time...Thanks!
