Poetry Prompts Grades 4-6

Students often have no appreciation or understanding of the art form called poetry. They will moan and groan at the mere mention of the word. Students must be exposed to all forms of poetry writings well before they try to write. Poetry must be enjoyed and appreciated as a skillfully written art form. According to Ruskin reading poetry is like the erecting of fairy palaces of magic thought, proof against all adversity. To learn in school to love poetry helps to build such palaces and desires.

Often teachers shy away from implementing poetry writing because they have no idea where to begin or how to stimulate interest in it. Listed below are some ways to help the classroom teacher to stimulate interest and to promote this art form.

Ideas for teaching students how to recognize appreciate and write various forms of traditional poetry are complimented by 6 poems for class choral reading and 11 poems to develop poetry appreciation, literacy, and critical thinking.

15+ reproducible worksheets provide a progressive practice in writing various poetry forms including triplets, quatrains, cinquains, limericks, diamantes and more.

Simply start with one section and move along throughout the year.

Section 1Introduction
Kinds of Poetry
Poetry Stimulators

Section 2 Choral Reading
Classroom Choral Reading
Poetry Selections for Choral Reading

Section 3Poetry Appreciation

Section 4 Poetry Definitions

Section 5Traditional Poetry
Rhyming Couplets
Triplets Quatrains

Section 6Cinquain

Section 7 Acrostic Poetry

Section 8 Limericks

Section 9 Haiku

Section 10 Alphabet Poetry

Section 11Stair Poetry

Section 12 Synonym Diamante
Antonym Diamante

Section 13 Clerihew Poetry

Section 14Alliteration
Metaphors
Similes
Onomatopoeia