Blog
Statue [15 words or less poems]
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I can’t actually remember where I took this picture, even though it was in the past month or so. Oi. But even though it came out blurry, I kind of like it that way. This image makes me think of: 1) looking at
The Synergy of Poetry and Content Areas: Reading Poetry Across the Curriculum
I know it’s the end of the school year, but now is the perfect time to think about how you might use poetry in your classroom next year, even if you’re NOT an English teacher! Remember back in November, when I talked about going to NCTE and mentioned the CLA Master Class on reading poetry
When a Poem Is a Blanket
You guys know Michelle Heidenrich Barnes’ Ditty of the Month Challenge, right? Where a poet issues a challenge based on a topic or form or writing process? (My challenge was water poems–last year.) This month, Michelle spotlighted fabulous poet Nikki Grimes, who issued a challenge to turn a word INTO a poem with wordplay. I
poetryaction for If You Were a Dog [poetry friday]
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I spent most of the last week in Florida, visiting family. That’s always an emotional time, so I’m choosing a lighthearted Poetry Friday selection! Jamie Swenson’s picture book is an explosion of fun sounds and wordplay. I wanted to add a stanza or chapter of
Concert [15 words or less poems]
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! I went to a Rush concert last week in St. Paul. Wow. I’m only a casual Rush fan (I love their smart lyrics, and I love the challenge of playing drums to Rush songs on Rock Band–holy moly), but it was awesome.
Thank You Notes from Kids
Thank you notes from kids are the best! Recently, I got three thank you envelopes in just a couple of days. I had so much fun reading through each note. Jen Britten’s 2nd graders at Warren E. Sooy, Jr. Elementary School in NJ sent a huge package of notes after I did a short Skype
poetryaction and bookalikes for Last Stop on Market Street
I love it when picture books can show a harder side of the real world but in a way that’s still comforting. I wrote this poetryaction from CJ’s point of view. And in one of those weird convergences, I was suddenly seeing Nanas everywhere (in real life and in books). Here’s another Nana to pair
Poetry Tips for Teachers Roundup
Hello! I’ve finally created a pdf printable roundup of my Poetry Tips for Teachers posts from National Poetry Month. Enjoy! PDF version of Laura’s Poetry Tips for Teachers (Reading Poetry Aloud in the Classroom) You can also still see all the original blog posts here (but that’s clunkier).
poetryaction for All Aboard [poetry friday]
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) If you’re a regular visitor to the blog (and if you are, thank you:>), you know I love Rebecca Kai Dotlich’s poetry. She was one of the first poets whose work I fell in love with when I started seriously reading children’s poetry and thinking
Seagull [15 words or less poems]
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Hi, everyone! I took this picture a few weeks ago in Grand Marais, MN, a beautiful little town on Lake Superior. It was a beautiful afternoon, and I got to walk along the lakeshore looking at rocks for a little while before my
poetryaction and bookalikes for You Are (Not) Small
Kids are always told they’re too young or too small for just about everything they want to do. This picture book reassures kids that they are not small…and they are. It depends on how you look at things. For this poetryaction, I borrowed a line from the book itself: “You are small and you are
poetryaction for Imani’s Moon
Sometimes I like to start a poetryaction by wondering what happened after the last page was turned. Has the main character changed? Are there hints in the book about what might happen in the future? Check out my Pinterest boards of poetryactions and bookalikes if you’d like to see more:>)
poetryaction and bookalikes for Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled
Happy Monday! It’s been a while since I’ve shared some poetryactions and bookalikes, so I’m planning to share quite a few in the coming weeks! I love how Catherine Thimmesh clearly explains how paleoartists study, make inferences, draw analogies?and how they also must come to terms with certain things we may never know about
Oh, Did You Need That Homework? [poetry friday]
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I hope you had an awesome Poetry Month. I did. It was super busy with lots of visits to schools and libraries. However, I’m way behind on blog reading, and I especially am a bit sad that I missed out on so many terrific online
Straws [15 words or less poems]
Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Hi, y’all! It’s great to be back after a VERY busy and social Poetry Month! Here’s some commissioned art outside the Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin. I believe our tour guide said these are supposed to represent flowers. Though I could be remembering
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Are You Looking For?
Go to my Poetry page for:
- National Poetry Month projects through the years
- Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
- Introductions to several favorite poetry forms