Climb Inside a Poem

Reading and Writing Poetry Across the Year

By Georgia Heard, Lester L. Laminack, Emeritus, Western Carolina University

Nurture a love of poetry in children with Climb Inside a Poem. In this ready-to-go resource, Georgia and Lester demonstrate how reading and writing poetry can support and extend young children's language and literacy development. Through an anthology of original children's poems and related lessons, Georgia and Lester describe how to weave poetry into the fabric of a school day by reading a variety of poems for a variety of purposes.

Read Full Description below »

ISBN 978-0-325-00983-4 / 0-325-00983-X / SKU E00983
2007 / 260pp / Bundle
Grade Level: Kindergarten-2nd

Topics: Curricular Resources, Early Childhood Education, Language Arts, Poetry, Reading, Writing

*Price and availability subject to change without notice.

Bundle

In Stock

List Price: ~~$84.00~~

Web/School Price: $63.00

QTY

Please note that all discounts and final pricing will be displayed on the Review Order page before you submit your order

Full Description

Children are natural poets. They speak poetry all day long. They say wonderful poetic gems that surprise and delight us and help us look at the world in a new way. In Climb Inside a Poem: Reading and Writing Poetry Across the Year, Georgia Heard and Lester Laminack tap into this natural inclination and demonstrate how reading and writing poetry can also support and extend young children's language and literacy development. Through an anthology of original children's poems and related lessons, Georgia and Lester describe how to weave poetry into the fabric of a school day by reading a variety of poems for a variety of purposes. Building on these experiences, children then engage in a formal unit of study on writing poetry.

Climb Inside a Poem has three components.

The poetry anthology, Climb Inside a Poem: Original Poems for Children, uses the writings of contemporary children’s poets, whimsical illustrations, and an expansive big book format (14”x18”) to create a 36-page poetry playground.
Lessons for Climb Inside a Poem provides a five-day sequence of lessons for each poem in the anthology. Through repeated readings and by accessing the poems from multiple perspectives, these lessons model how poetry can be used to support basic concepts in print, develop word awareness, expand reading and writing fluency, and help children write with feeling and voice.
Reading and Writing Poetry Across the Year takes a broad view of poetry and considers how poems can be used to reinforce and extend a literacy curriculum. Organized into three separate sections, the minilessons in this guide offer tips for outfitting and organizing classrooms where poetry can flourish; highlight a variety of reading strategies that immerse children in the words and music of poetry; and present a complete unit of study for writing poetry.

Additional Resource Information

(click any section below to continue reading)

Samples

Big Book of Poems and Lesson Book
Poem: Tooth Truth by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Lessons for Tooth Truth
Poet Pofile: Lee Bennett Hopkins

Poem: The Stray Dog by Alice Schertle
Lessons for The Stray Dog
Poet Pofile: Alice Schertle

Poem: Laundromat by X. J. Kennedy
Lessons for Laundromat
Poet Pofile: X. J. Kennedy

Yearlong Guide
Section 1: Creating a Poetry-Rich Environment
Minilesson 7: Finding Inspiration Through a Window

Section 2: Reading Poetry
Minilesson 6: Welcoming People

Section 3: Writing Poetry
Minilesson 5: Finding Poems in Small, Ordinary Things

Big Book of Poems Contents
Instruction in Climb Inside a Poem is organized around 29 poems by acclaimed children’s authors. (listed in order of appearance)

Where Do I Find Poetry? by Georgia Heard
Sky Wish by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Happy Toes by Pat Mora
Dear Friend in the Desert by Kristine O’Connell George
Tooth Truth by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Quack, Quack by Pat Mora
Why? Why? Why? by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Who’s Coming to Tea? by Jane Yolen
Making Soup by Marilyn Singer
How I Hopscotch by Kristine O’Connell George
When I Ride My Bike by Patricia Hubbell
School Bus Lady by J. Patrick Lewis
Poem for My Friend by Patricia Hubbell
Best Friend by Marilyn Singer
Birthday Candles by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Song for My Swing by Patricia Hubbell
The Stray Dog by Alice Schertle
Puppy Love by Jane Yolen
Just Like Grandpa by Alice Schertle
Happy Teeth by J. Patrick Lewis
The Cedar Tree by Joseph Bruchac
Laundromat by X. J. Kennedy
Emma by Janet Wong
Spring Riddles by Beverly McLoughland
Sun and Moon: A Poem for Two Voices by Bobbi Katz
Singing Down the Sun by Marilyn Singer
Hey, Crow! by Deborah Chandra
Hidden Treasure by Bobbi Katz
Night Story by Beverly McLoughland

Lesson Book Contents

In this book of lessons, you'll find suggestions for ways to work with every poem in the big book for five to ten minutes per day over the course of one week.

On Mondays, the activity ideas are meant to help introduce the poem to children;
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the activity ideas are meant to support children in exploring the poem in more depth;
On Thursdays, the activities help children get to know the poet and the poet's body of work; and
On Fridays, the activities are designed to help children focus on the poet's crafting moves.

Each lesson also provides their respective poem in a reproducible format and includes a "Responding to the Poem" page with space to share thoughts about the poem.

PLUS: At the end of the lesson book, in the "Poet Profiles" section you'll find more about the featured poets, including photographs, biographical information, and some "poet-to-poet" advice they offer us for our young poets.

Reading and Writing Poetry Across the Year Contents
The guide Reading and Writing Poetry Across the Year takes a broad view of poetry and considers how poems can be used to reinforce and extend a literacy curriculum. Organized into three separate sections, the minilessons in this guide:

offer tips for outfitting and organizing classrooms where poetry can flourish,
highlight a variety of reading strategies that immerse children in the words and music of poetry,
present a complete unit of study for writing poetry.

Contents

Introduction to Reading and Writing Poetry Across the Year

PART ONE: Creating a Poetry-Rich Environment

Introduction