I’ve used interactive poems for years. They never get old with my students and they have so many benefits if you use them consistently. Follow along as I explain the importance of interactive poems!
Engagement
The importance of interactive poems has a huge list of benefits. I could write for days! But let’s start with engagement.
When you have a twenty kindergartners on the floor, you need to keep their engagement. There are so many distractions and their attention span is only a few minutes! Interactive poems are fun, catchy little poems that get my learners attention first thing in the morning. Each poem focuses on the theme of that week. It’s a fun way to introduce the new theme!
We read the poem every day, which helps students with word recognition and reading fluency. If I include everyone in the reading, then it keeps engagement high and I don’t have to worry about others being off task.
I think the best part of the poems is using the included picture cards to change the poem!
Language Development
Poetry is not a favorite to many, so including poems in my weekly activities is a huge help for them. I enjoy teaching them all the different ways writing can express feelings, thoughts, emotions. But these poems are more for phonological awareness. I can do a quick mini lesson on rhyming, onsets and rimes and syllables with these poems.
Social Interaction
How many of your students love to stand at the front of the room with a pointer in hand and pretend the be the teacher? Most of them at that age love getting in front of the room to do something to help the teacher. Each day, I pick a new student to come to the front and point to each word as we read aloud the poem. That student also gets to choose what picture card to use to complete the poem!
I Want These Poems!
There are two ways you can get these interactive poems! There is one included in every thematic unit in my TpT and MJCS store.
If you’re just wanting the interactive poems, I’ve compiled them all into a bundle! Click the link below to see more!
