Poem of the week has been a staple in my classroom for many years. Using this technique students are able to read 4 lines of text each week relating to content necessary for kindergarten.
Poems can be based on science, social studies or history, themes, holidays, or seasons.
These poems are not typically decodable text as they are content related and vocabulary rich.
Poem of the week also creates a structure and routine for the classroom that the students know and understand quickly. One poem can be used in many concurring weeks.
Incorporating a “Poem of the Week” into kindergarten classrooms can be a fun and effective way to foster language development, creativity, and a lifelong love for literature in young learners.
Poem of the week anchor chart
Creating a poem of the week anchor chart is the first step in an important routine.
Before the days of interactive boards, all my poems were on poster board created with sentence strips.
In the picture I have created this low-technology option.
Another option is projecting the PDF on the interactive board while you trace the poster on another paper.
And yet another way to have a paper poem is printing the PDF page in poster mode at 250%. 250% is roughly the size of a standard poster board.
Of course most classrooms today do have interactive boards and this poem can be shown to the students weekly. Points are introduced in morning meeting and are read, chorally red, and discussed quickly each day.
POEM OF THE WEEK ROUTINE
In the created sets I’ve outlined a routine of:
Monday – Students are reading the poem and discussing vocabulary.
Tuesday – Students are finding, discussing, and analyzing sight words introduced in the poem.
Wednesday – Students are provided their own copy of the poem to be placed in a composition notebook or poetry folder. These poems can be differentiated to include the completed poem, the poem with newly introduced sight words left out, and the poem with all new and previously taught sight words left out. Students would complete these poems by writing in the missing sight words.
Thursday – Students are provided with a copy of the lines of text typed and printed out of order. Students can be provided a one to one match with lines of text or can be provided with just a piece of paper that they need to order without a near point model.
Friday – Students are creating an art project relating to the poem and affixing the poem to the art.
The sets also include many other ideas for incorporating the poem of the week into your lessons.
POEM OF THE WEEK AND SIGHT WORDS
Sight words are introduced and reviewed using an orthographic mapping and phonics.
Two sight words are introduced as “new” words each week, while the previously taught words are also highlighted in many activities.
Sight words are highlighted in the poetry center activity (3 differentiated options), the Read, Write, Glue, Draw center, the 1-page foldable booklet activity (with 3 differentiated options) and the sight word practice sheet for the new words.
An onset and rime is chosen for each poem and highlighted in a lift-the-flap center. Word cards are also provided to create the poem in a pocket chart for small group instruction, collaborative groups, or partner work, and many other ideas.
Student are provided many opportunities for creativity with line order assignments and the weekly art project.
Homework is also related to the poem of the week.
The week following introduction of the poem it is sent home as a springboard for independent homework activities for sight words and comprehension.
Students are provided a tic tac toe board with 9 separate options for homework and the student is asked to complete 3.
These sets are ready to go with routines and expectations.
Using a “Poem of the Week” in kindergarten can offer numerous benefits for young learners, fostering their language skills, creativity, and emotional development.
POEM OF THE WEEK FOR FREE!
That’s right. Check out the Poem of the Week routine and activities for FREE! Once you see the value, you’ll want the whole year! It’s already done for you!
