Teaching Poetry -- Teacher Resources

Teaching poetry to students who are afraid of it or determined to hate it is a major challenge.  Try these kid tested resources to liven up your poetry unit. For more kid-tested poetry resources, check out the Poetry Zone at Book Nuts Reading Club.

A Child's Introduction to Poetry by Micheal Driscoll Teachers, this is the book you need to build your poetry unit.  In an easy to understand, kid friendly format, Professor Driscoll makes learning about different poetry forms and poets fun!

Every poem in the book is also read aloud by professionals on an included CD.  Hearing a poem really brings it to life.  Close your eyes and let the words speak to your heart. The Professor does the impossible in this book!  He makes learning about poetry fun!

Read and Understand Poetry Series by Evan-Moor Publishers This series of books created for grades 1-6 feature an easy to follow lesson plan, an illustrated reproducible copy of the poem, and two student activity pages for each poem presented in the text. An illustrated glossary of poetry terms with examples is also included. The poems presented are age appropriate and include both classic and contemporary poems.

Lesson plans allow for teaching analysis of  the poems in a kid-friendly way without beating the poem to death.  One student activity page is multiple choice, while the second activity page is short answer.   A great resource for the time-strapped teacher.