This is great. We're going to play it this afternoon with the class. Popcorn, apple juice, and a movie to celebrate our work in poetry. Please watch the first minute, because the teacher, Lori Hickman, shares her genuine thoughts about teaching kindergarteners to write poetry. She begins by admitting she thought is was going to… Continue reading Kindergarten Poetry Celebration
Category: poetry
First Attempt at Poetry
Yesterday Lori Hickman and I launched a poetry unit of study in her kindergarten classroom. Since we wanted to see what they already knew about writing poetry, we decided to have them write a poem. This made me a little nervous. What if they just stared at the paper or chaos ensued because they had… Continue reading First Attempt at Poetry
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Found Poetry Giveaway Recipient
Congratulations to Justin Green whose commenter number corresponds to the random number drawn for Georgia Heard's new book of poems The Arrow Finds Its Mark: A Book of Found Poems. Many thanks to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for sponsoring this giveaway. If you missed the original post about this book, then click here to read… Continue reading Found Poetry Giveaway Recipient
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The Weekly SOLSC Is Back!
It's Tuesday and it's April. That means you've had two days to catch your breath if you were part of the 5th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge! I hope you'll join us this Tuesday, and every Tuesday year-round (your schedule permitting, of course), for our weekly Slice of Life Story Challenge. There are no… Continue reading The Weekly SOLSC Is Back!
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Found Poetry + a Giveaway
Have you ever found a poem? I'm not talking about something with stanzas, line breaks, and the other traditional things that typically make a poem a poem. I'm talking about finding something poetic in ordinary prose, on a street sign, in an advertisement, or even inside of a fortune cookie. The Arrow Finds Its Mark:… Continue reading Found Poetry + a Giveaway
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Talking Poetry with Lee Bennett Hopkins
I've hiked alongside a black bear, who was fishing for salmon in a stream, in Alaska. Maybe it was because I was with a group of people, but the bear didn't scare me. Put me in the same room as an insect and I am no longer fearless. In fact, if my husband is near… Continue reading Talking Poetry with Lee Bennett Hopkins
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Follow-Up: Leap Year Poem
On Feb. 29th, 2008, I gave my fourth graders a copy of the "Leap Year Poem." I asked them to hold on to the little slip of paper I printed it on and instructed them to e-mail me four years later. I'm happy to report that four years later, they're in eighth grade and some… Continue reading Follow-Up: Leap Year Poem
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Writers — Real People
Lee Bennett Hopkins delivered an inspiring keynote address, "Writers -- Real People" last Wednesday morning at the TCRWP Writing Institute. His keynote address seemed to have three parts. First, he spoke about other authors and how they struggled to get published. Second, Hopkins shared his background with the audience. Third, Hopkins talked about the gifts… Continue reading Writers — Real People
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Neighborhood Walk
From We had way too much fun today!!! We've all had those "best teaching days." You know, the ones where the children are completely engaged in learning. The ones that are fun. The ones that extend beyond the classroom. For me, one of my best teaching days was on May 1st, 2007. That day is… Continue reading Neighborhood Walk
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Home (Ruth’s SOLS)
Have you ever wanted to write something, but you're sure your words are never ever going to do it justice? That's how I feel about tonight's slice. Some of you may know I've challenged myself to an additional goal for SOLSC -- to collect a photo for each slice. The photo is from years ago,… Continue reading Home (Ruth’s SOLS)
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Sundays for the Soul: Amy LV
If you don't know already, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater totally rocks. If you are thinking Who's Amy LV?, keep it to yourself and click here to see her remarkable blog, The Poem Farm. Not only does Amy write an original poem every single day, but she also talks directly to students, making her blog a prime… Continue reading Sundays for the Soul: Amy LV
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Chanukah Poems + A Book Giveaway
As a practicing Jew, I'm a little perplexed about the popularity of Chanukah. Chanukah is a minor holiday. It doesn't have the same religious significance as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavuot. Yet, Chanukah gets more attention than the other ones since it falls around Christmastime each year. I've been searching for holiday-related… Continue reading Chanukah Poems + A Book Giveaway
