Tag Archives: National Poetry Month

Writing Poetry in the Classroom: A Lesson With Author Mark Karlins

Kiyoshi's Walk coverIn this guest post, author and poet Mark Karlins shares how his latest title, Kiyoshi’s Walk, can be used to engage students (and anyone!) to write poetry in the classroom and at home. Mark Karlins also shares how the traditional Japanese poetry form, renga, can help create community in a classroom especially in time for National Poetry Month! 

As I was writing Kiyoshi’s Walk, all I was thinking about was writing an engaging story about a child who wanted to learn to write poetry, a story which has a strong grandfather-grandchild relationship and a progressive structure that keeps people reading and listening. Now that Kiyoshi’s Walk has been published, I’ve begun to think about how the story can expand and become a base for teaching writing both at home and in the classroom. A walk outdoors with a parent and child, a stroll through the playground of a school, even an indoors excursion from one window to the next, can provide experiences for the writing of haiku. Grandfather Eto and Kiyoshi demonstrate a way this can happen.

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Read Poetry with Students: Poetry Resource Guide for Teachers

Just in time for Poetry Month, we are proud to announce that we have officially relaunched our beloved Poetry Resource Guide! Check out our tips and strategies from renowned poet, educator, and literacy advocate Pat Mora about how to use poetry with students in various educational settings. Dive into creative ways to make poetry fun and engaging for young people, not just during Poetry Month but year-round! Read excerpts from the guide below, as well as some of our new and bestselling poetry titles based on universal themes!

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Tips for Reading Poetry Aloud to Children

Since Poetry Month is in full swing, we asked some of our poets at Lee & Low Books  to provide tips for reading poetry to kids and students. Read suggestions from Pat Mora, author of Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas’ SproutingsConfetti: Poems for Children (Confeti: Poemas para niños); and upcoming title  Bookjoy, Wordjoy, listen to the wisdom of Marilyn Singer, author of A Full Moon Is Rising and upcoming title Every Month Is a New Year, and find the passion with Guadalupe García McCall, author of Under the Mesquite, Summer of the Mariposas (El verano de las mariposas), Shame the Stars, and upcoming Fall title All the Stars Denied, when reading poetry to kids. Continue reading

Martí’s Song for Freedom Activity Guide

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Emma Otheguy, the author of the forthcoming title Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad created an amazing activity guide for readers. Modeled after a poem by José Martí, readers can create their own poem after reading his inspirational story as well as excerpts from his seminal Versos sencillos.

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10 Children’s Books that Celebrate Earth Day

Saturday, April 22nd is Earth Day, an internationally recognized day that celebrates the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. To honor Earth Day and celebrate National Poetry Month, we gathered ten poetry books that are inspired by the joy and wonder of being outdoors and that bring the sight and sounds of nature to life.

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4 Mentor Texts and Activities for National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. With so many forms of poetry to explore and share with students, what will you choose? Here are 4 ideas for using mentor texts to guide students in poetry study. And an additional bonus: a letter to teachers from author and poet, Pat Mora, on the power of poetry.

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Interview: Writing Haiku With Curtis Manley, Author of The Crane Girl

the crane girlThe Crane Girl, released last month, is an adaptation of a popular Japanese folktale about the power of friendship and kindness to transform lives. Told in both haiku and prose, The Crane Girl follows young Yasuhiro who rescues an injured crane in the woods one night. The next day, a mysterious girl appears at his door. She offers to weave silk for Yasuhiro and his father to help them with money, but eventually the father’s greed has a life-changing effect on them all.

To celebrate National Poetry Month, we asked author Curtis Manley to take us through his writing process when it comes to haiku, poetry, and The Crane Girl. Continue reading

Webinar: Using Multicultural Children’s Poetry to Inspire Poetry Appreciation

Does your National Poetry Month reflect our nation? Learn how to find and use multicultural and diverse poetry in your classroom!

Join Lee & Low Books for a free webinar with Share My Lesson’s 5th annual Ideas & Innovations Virtual Conference, March 14-16, 2017.

Get ready for inspiring an appreciation for verse and encouraging your students to write poetry themselves!

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Poetry Friday: Animal Poems of the Iguazú/Animalario del Iguazú

April is National Poetry Month! All month long we’ll be celebrating by posting some of our favorite poems for Poetry Friday. To celebrate Earth Day, for today’s Poetry Friday, we chose a poem from Animal Poems of the Iguazú/Animalario del Iguazú, written by Francisco X. Alarcón and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Continue reading