National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. Started in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, teachers either love it or hate it. Two things we can all agree on are that poetry is a genre worth study and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s definition of poetry from Table Talk (July 12, 1827):

“I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry; prose—words in their best order; poetry—the best words in their best order.”

Why not tap into this genre as a whole class study. Read and write poetry for fun and fluency! See the online newsletter for Becky McKay’s poetry genre chapter and resources.

Poetry Genre Chapter “The Vocabulary-developer” by Rebecca McKay DRAFT (PDF)
Poetry: The Genre to Display Our Humanity PD Presentation at Freedman (PDF)