Idea for Using Poetry in the Library



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15 Ways to Use Poetry

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1. In a small display area, put up a magnet board (or a cookie sheet) with magnetic words and encourage patrons to create their own poems. You may get them started by posting short poems nearby.

2. Hold a poetry writing contest during National Poetry Month (April) and encourage teachers to get their students involved.

3. Include Mother Goose rhymes in storytimes and other programs while reminding patrons that these fun rhymes are also poetry.

4. Include poetry books in subject displays. For example, if you are doing a display on dogs, display Andrew Clements’ book Dogku or something similar.

5. Feature books that are written in free verse when doing booktalks for school age children.

6. During school visits or programs, use repetitive poems for audience participation stories.

7. Link to poets’ Web sites on your children’s page.

8. Post poems around the children’s room relating to your summer reading theme.

9. Offer an open mic night or poetry slam where patrons are encouraged to share their own poems.

10. Host a poetry party with stations featuring an activity for different forms of poetry, e.g. concrete, acrostic, haiku, limerick. Activities could include having pre-printed public domain poems available on bookmarks for the kids to color, examples of acrostic poems using first names to get the kids started on poems using their own names, having play dough or another artistic medium for children to create with while listening to poems.

11. Present a program where patrons can make their own magnetic poetry kits using magnetic tape.

12. Plan a Poetry Hunt. It’s like a treasure hunt. Create “poetry pockets” out of heavy paper, hide them in various places in the stacks, and fill them with postcard-sized poem cards printed on card stock. Put a different poem in each pocket, and let children keep the cards they find. Ask kids to let you know if they find an empty pocket so it can be filled with another poem card. Place a poster at the entrance to the children’s room to get their attention and show them what to look for. It’s great to see kids hunting for pockets and collecting the poetry cards. Many of them sit there and read them aloud to parents or siblings. You can keep this activity up for the entire month of April (National Poetry Month) or longer. Once the cards are made, the activity requires little attention from the library staff. (Taken from a PUBYAC post by Anne Lemay, January 2001.)

13. Use a puppet in storytime to tell a poem.

14. Hold a trivia contest featuring first lines from famous poems, asking patrons to identify each poem.

15. Find poems written for more than one voice and use them in readers’ theater.

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