Writing Poems with Children

With Halloween coming up, many children are involved in activities in preparation for this day. 

Image: sxc.hu

I worked with a class of second graders who wrote a poem on a Halloween topic…witches, bats, jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, etc.

Even though I teach poetry workshops for children and adults, this format was new to me.  The youngsters had great fun with it.  Perhaps yours would, too.

Simply choose a topic (and it could be about anything, not just Halloween).  Then answer these questions and your poem will evolve.

• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?

You don’t place these words in the poem, simply give the answers.  For the second graders, this often consisted of one long sentence.  You could try to get rhyme in there eventually.

Millie, the witch with the crooked nose

Lost her broom

On Halloween

As she chased the little ghost

Who floated by to tease her.

Why don’t you try some of these with your youngsters?  Also have them draw pictures to accompany their poems.