Activity: Poetry Sounds
Reading and writing poetry allows learners to think about and practice the
sounds of the English language.
- Flexibility: Many forms of poetry employ simple structures.
Newer writers may be more comfortable with this style of writing than with
writing stories or paragraphs.
- Syllables: Certain poetic forms have rules about the
number of syllables each line is allowed. For example, haiku poems are three
lines with 17 syllables in total. By writing these poems, learners can understand
and practice counting syllables in words and lines. Syllables are the next
largest unit of spoken language after sounds.
- Rhymes: Using rhymes in poetry shows the learner that
by substituting the beginning sound of one word, another rhyming word can
be created. Learners can expand their vocabulary by creating rhymes of words
they have already mastered.
- Rhythm: Listening to poetry can help learners appreciate
the rhythm and intonation of the English language. It can help with expressiveness,
too. When a poem like a limerick is read, the learner can clap out the beat.
Word magnet sets are often sold in educational toy stores or you can make your
own and use words that are meaningful to the learners. By combining different
words and phrases, poetry can be created on the refrigerator!
Some of the readings in Section 9 are poems written by adult learners:
| "I Love Myself" |
"My God" |
| "My Sister Will Sing" |
"Love Is" |
| "Someday" |
"Dreams" |