Why do I read business articles? Because they are often the source for amazing ideas to use in the Language Arts classroom.  This Forbes’ article about the Limerick Butler poet Stephen Clare inspired my take on Fresh Poems in the Classroom.

Stephen Clare sets up his typewriter and creates “fresh” poems for people in under 10 minutes.

He requires two things to create poems… a WHAT and a WHO

• WHAT is the topic for the poem?
• WHO is the poem for?

The customer talks to him as he writes. Stephen’s creative process determines the length and the structure of the poem, he lets the poem take the lead.

This magic can happen in the classroom too! Here’s how!

Setting Up This Experience in the Classroom

Immerse students in poetry. Explore many different kinds, not just ones that rhyme.

Here are some handy lists.

30 Books of Poetry for Young Readers

20 Best Poetry Books for Kids

Practice writing poems together as a class. Model first as a teacher (I DO, STUDENTS WATCH), then together as a large group and in small groups (WE DO TOGETHER) and then as individuals (YOU DO ON YOUR OWN).

After writing a few different types of poems, set up students in pairs to write “Fresh Poems”.  Encouraging students to share topics that are meaningful to them and to carefully consider who could the audience of their poem could be. This opens the audience to other students in the class and in the school, in addition to other school staff and to family at home.

However, reality is that writing a poem without scaffolds can be challenging. While some students can listen to another student’s ideas and create a poem, most cannot. Here are some ways to support the student writer of “fresh poems.”

Have poem templates for students to use with prior instruction of how to create with them.  These are the same templates students have explored in class to write poems.

Consider an organizer for holding the ideas of the student “customer”.  One option is to have a paper for students to make a jot list or perhaps a series of boxes on a page for students to create quick drawings with/without words.

If you have access to Google Apps, perhaps have the student “customer” speak into Google Docs using the voice typing feature found on the toolbar under “tools”. The benefit of  voice typing is that the poet can use these captured words, already typed into a doc to create the poem without worrying about the initial step of idea capture.

Finishing ideas can include no tech, meaning hand printed on a page.  It can also be low tech, using a word publishing technology to create a polished poem using typed words and found images. A high tech option would be using BookCreator, to include pictures and words in an eBook format.

Here are some other places online to create or learn how to write poems.

Poster My Wall

Poetry Templates from READWRITETHINK.org

Poetry Templates from Teach-nology

Using Google Slides to Make a Poster

How to Write Free Verse Poetry

Enjoy this process, make tweaks as you find out what works for your students. I think it is important to emphasize the beauty in the personalized gift of writing. Celebrate these newly created poems by bringing in those that are receiving the poems. As an extension, set up a FRESH POEM REQUEST box where students can fill out a form to request a fresh poem. The form should include, the name of the person requesting the poem, the topic for the poem and for who the poem is for.

I look forward to hearing how you used “fresh” poems in your classroom. Please make note in the comment section.

Here’s a bonus for you! I created this Poetry LiveBinder and you might find it helpful as you explore poetry in your classroom.

Until Next Time,

Coach Clark

Please tell me you remember that song. It was from the movie Short Circuit. If not, you are in for a treat!

This video came to mind when I thought about reading only because it reminds me of this famous book, Why Johnny Can’t Read!

What I like about this title, “Why Johnny Can’t Read” is that it focuses on the reader first (Johnny) then the reading process, second.

I believe we need to identify the NOUN – the reader before matching the VERB – reading strategies/instruction.

My first project for the Lead Literacy Society is to come up with the “types” of readers that we see in our classrooms.

Is it possible that if we develop starter profiles for the variety of types of readers, we can then decide on what these readers need?

What I see happening right now is this…one solution fits all.  As seen here…imagine the “wrenches” as one approach.

Painful?

Yes!

Right now our one approach, in addition to general classroom reading instruction is Leveled Literacy Intervention. But as I wrote in this article, I don’t think it works for everyone. It can’t,  it is but one approach. It is a really decent approach but it needs to be matched with the right readers.

For this conversation, I would like to hear about the different types of struggling readers that you encounter.

(Note in future posts we will discuss the other readers who are reading at level and beyond. They have their own profiles too and they also need specific strategies.)

Here are some of the categories of struggling readers I have discovered.

1. Students with Learning Disabilities such as Dyslexia. These students can appear to work to classroom expectations in most other subject areas but struggle with reading. They have average to above average intellectual ability.
2. Students with Intellectual Disabilities. These students struggle with most other subjects. At times, they seem to present difficulties with memory, remembering sight words, comprehension and decoding.
   
3. Students who have low exposure to literacy activities at home. These students could be at the targeted reading level but they have not had follow up support at home.
4. Students who are inconsistent with their attendance. These students could be at the targeted reading level but have gaps in their learning due to lack of attendance.
5. Students who are English Language Learners.  Some ELL’s can be expert decoders but lack comprehension.
6. Students with Autism. These students struggle to relay their comprehension due to communication deficits.

Some students can be in several of these categories too. For example a student who is ELL with attendance issues.

This post addresses…

Step One: Identify categories of struggling readers.

In future posts we will discuss…

Step Two: Create “starter” reader profiles with the established categories

Step Three: Use classroom teaching experiences and research to come up with strategies for each category.

Step Four: Test these ideas out in our classrooms

Step Five: Come up with A Guide to Supporting Our Struggling Readers: Practical Solutions and Advice from the Lead Literacy Society

So PLEASE comment below or own our Facebook page.  I want to hear from you.

Do you have new categories?

Feedback please!

Until Next Time,

Coach Clark