POETRY FRIDAY: Gearing Up for National Poetry Month

No poetry book reviews today! No silly little ditties or moldering old poems either! Today I am posting links to websites and webpages with poetry resources for children, teachers, homeschoolers, and anyone else who happens to be a poetry lover like me. Enjoy your reading!

ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS: SCHOLASTIC’S WRITING WITH WRITERS

Poetry Writing with Writers (Main Page)

Poetry Writing with Jack Prelutsky (Grades 1-4)

Writing I Spy Riddles with Jean Marzollo (Grades 2-5)

Poetry Writing with Karla Kuskin (Grades 4-8)


POETRY RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND HOMESCHOOLERS

Celebrate Poetry…all year long! Find some great poetry ideas for teachers from award-winning poet Kristine O’Connell George

Favorite Poem Project’s Classroom Lessons and Projects. Find ideas for poetry activities developed by teachers who participated in the Summer Poetry Institutes for Teachers, which were sponsored by Robert Pinsky’s Favorite Poem Project and the Boston University School of Education. (I was a participant in the first institute in 2001.)

Representative Poetry Online from the University of Toronto. This site includes more than 3,000 English poems by 500 poets, a glossary of poetic terms, and a link to the Canadian Poetry website.

Teach Now! National Poetry Month (From Scholastic): Here you will find a wealth of poetry ideas and resources under the following headings: Poems and Classroom Activities, Poetry Writing Workshops and Events, and Poetry Resources.


From the Yale New Haven Teacher Institute: Three Entire Curriculum Units for Teachers

Poems That Work

Poetry for the Elementary Classroom

Reading, Writing, and Reciting


From the Children’s Book Council

Lists of children’s poetry books from 1999 to the present

Free downloadable bookmark with a poem written by J. Patrick Lewis, a popular children’s poet


ONLINE ARTICLES ABOUT CHILDREN’S POETRY

From the Children’s Book Council

Good Poetry for Trying Out Loud by Sylvia M. Vardell, Ph. D. (Sylvia served on the Cybils poetry-nominating panel. Visit her blog Poetry for Children.)

Entice Readers to Poetry by Carol D. Fiore

Classrooms Full of Poetry by Kate W. Ray and Lester L. Laminack


From The Horn Book Website: The following articles appeared in the May/June 2005 Horn Book Magazine Special Issue: Poets & Poetry.

On Originality in Children’s Poetry by J. Patrick Lewis

Purposeful Poetry (Forcing poetry into the lesson plan) by Susan Dove Lempke

I highly recommend ordering this issue of The Horn Book Magazine. It not only includes articles about poetry—it also includes poems written by Douglas Florian, Mary Ann Hoberman, Eloise Greenfield, Nikki Grimes, George Ella Lyon, Marilyn Nelson, David Greenberg, Kristine O’Connell George, Ron Koertge, Paul B. Janeczko, Marilyn Singer, Walter Dean Myers, Alice Schertle, Constance Levy, Betsy Hearne, Karla Kuskin, Jane Yolen, Janet Wong. How’s that for a lineup of great poets?


A SAMPLING OF CHILDREN'S POETS WEBSITES (Listed alphabetically.)

Kristine O’Connell George

Mary Ann Hoberman

J. Patrick Lewis

Joyce Sidman

Janet Wong


ANNOUNCEMENT: I am going to be launching my own blog, Wild Rose Reader, on the first day of April, which also happens to be the first day of National Poetry Month. That is, I hope I will be launching my blog on Sunday! Those of us kidlit bloggers who are old enough to receive mailings from AARP aren’t always the most technically savvy people. I do hope you’ll stop by occasionally and check out Wild Rose Reader—and leave a comment every now and again. I will still be posting at Blue Rose Girls from time to time.

To the Blue Rose Girls: Thanks so much for welcoming me into your circle of friendship and for inviting me to be a regular contributor to your great blog. I send a special note of thanks to Grace Lin, one of the most talented children’s book creators and one of the finest individuals I have ever met. It was she who encouraged me to become a blogger.

HAPPY POETRY MONTH !