National Poetry Month: Online Poetry Resources

 

 

 

Celebrate National Poetry Month!

April is National Poetry Month and most classrooms will spend some time exploring poetic expression in one form or another. Children enjoy the rhymes and humor from poets like Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein, but don’t be afraid to branch out to poets like Robert Frost or Louisa May Alcott. There are so many beautiful words to share and poetry makes great bedtime material.

April 30th is Poem In Your Pocket Day. Help your child write their favorite poem on a piece of paper and let them carry it with them that day. Encourage them to share their poem with their friends, family, and teachers.

You can read about our poetic adventures on my blog at Bookworm Homeschool. But there is a lot of other fun stuff out there to explore, too. Here are some excellent resources to help you find ways to explore and learn about poetry with your children.

Poets.org – Here you’ll find all things poetry including a poetry index and glossary, materials for teachers, lesson plans for elementary through college, and updates about poetry events. Subscribe to receive a poem-a-day to your inbox. Click on the poetry near you tab to find readings and events in your area.

Ken Nesbitt’s Poetry4Kids.com – This published poet’s website is full of fun and interactive poetry-related material. Find games, how-tos, activities and more. Check out some of Ken Nesbitt’s books while you’re on his website!

Edutopia has a great post about National Poetry Month with a robust list of poetry-related websites and links. You can find the blog post here: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/national-poetry-month-teacher-resources-matt-davis?gclid=CMLhsJvBhsUCFVVsfgodx4MANw. You’ll find Poets.org listed here, as well as many other links to tips for writing poetry, teacher resources, and poetry collections.

 

 

For printables and activity ideas for kids try these:

Education.com – Sign up for free and you get a limited number of free downloads each month. If I remember correctly it was 10 free downloads when I first joined. Soon after, I became a paying member. We use this site regularly and are enjoying some of the poetry activities this month ourselves. Type the word poetry into the Education.com search bar and you’ll be given a wealth of activities to enjoy.

LessonPlanet.com – This is another subscription site, but they are currently offering a free 10-day trial. You could use your free time to explore some of the great resources they have available for poetry right now, and then decide if it is something you would like to invest in or cancel. I am not a member of LessonPlanet and have no personal experience here, but I did find some great resources that I would like to try out.

 

 

The Secret

In the profoundest ocean

There is a rainbow shell,

It is always there, shining most stilly

Under the greatest storm waves

That the old Greek called “ripples of laughter.”

As you listen, the rainbow shell

Sings–in the profoundest ocean.

It is always there, singing most silently!

~ Walter Savage Landor

 

Who is your favorite poet and what is your favorite poem?

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