Tip #1: Twice Is Nice [Poetry Tips for Teachers]

Tip #1: Twice Is Nice

When you introduce a poem, read it twice. Poems are dense with language and images, and they often hold way too much info to absorb in a single hearing. Generally, read the poem through one time without any direction to your students. THEN, if you like, you can give them cues of things to look for in the poem, before you read it the second time. Plus, as Irene points out in the comments below, more is even better! Poetry is wonderful for multiple repeated readings, so there’s no need to stop at twice:>)

You might read this poem once, then ask students what/who they think is narrating this poem. Then on the second read, have them look for the clues that helped them figure it out. Or…just read it twice to enjoy it twice!

 

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26 Responses

  1. Laura,
    You’re off to a great start with tips for sharing poetry with kids. What a great resource.

  2. Laura,
    You’re off to a great start with tips for sharing poetry with kids. What a great resource.

  3. Yes! And not just twice… over and over and over again, like a song on the radio, until you feel it in your cells. Thank you, Laura!

  4. Yes! And not just twice… over and over and over again, like a song on the radio, until you feel it in your cells. Thank you, Laura!

  5. Wonderful! A couple more read-throughs and I’ll have it memorized. I’m looking forward to this entire month.

  6. Wonderful! A couple more read-throughs and I’ll have it memorized. I’m looking forward to this entire month.

    1. Thanks, Catherine. I didn’t know that! I did write a passage once about how US buses got their yellow color (for safety reasons), but I didn’t know England’s were all different colors. I love learning little facts from you guys!

    1. Thanks, Catherine. I didn’t know that! I did write a passage once about how US buses got their yellow color (for safety reasons), but I didn’t know England’s were all different colors. I love learning little facts from you guys!

  7. Nothing like the month of April for so many wonderful things! Poetry tops the list for me! Thanks, Laura! I’ll be checking back!

  8. Nothing like the month of April for so many wonderful things! Poetry tops the list for me! Thanks, Laura! I’ll be checking back!

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