This twelve week unit that I have written on poetry has evolved into being a wonderful experience for me and will be for the kindergarten student. It can be used in other grade levels as well and adapted to any learning style. What you will find to be unique is the different ways to teach reading using poetry. There are several reading skills involved in the unit. These skills have been embedded throughout the unit to ensure that the student gets to practice them. Also, they will be exposed to the enjoyment and fun that poetry reading has to offer. The poetry is emphasized through listening and using drawing to convey their understanding of it. A portfolio will be developed from this. A field trip will be taken to the Carnegie Museum of Art. This will help with the drawing portion of the portfolio and will provide a basic foundation for ecphrastic poetry (visual art objects connected to the poetry writing). There is a strategy section with help for you and the student to get the maximum benefit from each skill or poem in my unit. The poetry form is included and an example of the format. The poems are simple and can be used to teach other themes such as weather or shapes. The lessons that are included have items that can be constructed. So there are creative activities that can be adapted to suit your teaching style. I have also added suggestions on developing poetry using the ecphrastic influence. Take a look at this unit and enjoy the endless ideas for making poetry that has meaning to the early childhood student.

(Developed for Reading, grade K; recommended for Reading and Language Arts, grades K-2)