Poetry Prompts Grades 4-6

Students often have no appreciation or understanding of the art form called poetry. They will moan and groan at the mere mention of the word. Students must be exposed to all forms of poetry writings well before they try to write. Poetry must be enjoyed and appreciated as a skillfully written art form. According to Ruskin reading poetry is like the erecting of fairy palaces of magic thought, proof against all adversity. To learn in school to love poetry helps to build such palaces and desires. Often teachers shy away from implementing poetry writing because they have no idea where to begin or how to stimulate interest in it. Listed below are some ways to help the classroom teacher to stimulate interest and to promote this art form. Ideas for teaching students how to recognize appreciate and write various forms of traditional poetry are complimented by 6 poems for class choral reading and 11 poems to develop poetry appreciation, literacy, and critical thinking. 15+ reproducible worksheets provide a progressive practice in writing various poetry forms including triplets, quatrains, cinquains, limericks, diamantes and more. Simply start with one section and move along throughout the year. Section 1Introduction Kinds of Poetry Poetry Stimulators Section 2 Choral Reading Classroom Choral Reading Poetry Selections for Choral Reading Section 3Poetry Appreciation Section 4 Poetry Definitions Section 5Traditional Poetry Rhyming Couplets Triplets Quatrains Section 6Cinquain Section 7 Acrostic Poetry Section 8 Limericks Section 9 Haiku Section 10 Alphabet Poetry Section 11Stair Poetry Section 12 Synonym Diamante Antonym Diamante Section 13 Clerihew Poetry Section 14Alliteration Metaphors Similes Onomatopoeia