I have added a poetry component to my first graders' writing that have been a big hit with the kids! I have found that after writing lots of classbooks and stories it is refreshing for them to get to write short pieces. I use Regie Routman's, Kids' Poems, as a model to get started. This book serves as great inspiration for my students. It contains poems written by children that are printed in the rough draft form and then as published pieces complete with illustrations. My students write poems in their Draft Books and tear the sheets out that they want to publish. I meet with them to edit and type the poems for them. When they get the print copy back they illustrate it!

The students are so motivated when they realize that their work is comparable to the poems in the book. We even put all the poems in page protectors in a binder so the kids can read each other's work. At the end of the year we make a Poe"tree" Book for each child with all of his/her poems during the year. This is a welcome addition to my Writers' Workshop. In fact, it adds a new spark at the end of the year. Kids love to write poems!

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*~* Of course we read tons of funny and fun poems throughout the year. The children also have a poetry binder that they take home every weekend to share at home.