Adopting a tiny white kitten at the age of 7

                          inspired me to write my very 1st poem as a second-grade student.

                                           Athough, it's hard to believe, I still remember it!

                                                                       What do you think?  

 

Marshmellow*

I have a little cat

She really isn't mine

No matter where she is

You have to be so kind

Her name is Marshmellow

She is all white you see

I have to care for her

And that's why she loves me!

*(Yes, I know, that's how we spelled her name - not like a marshmallow, the sweet treat!)

 

That poem was the start of falling in love - with poetry. All types of poetry as literary art. 

And you know the 1st thing I learned? Poems do not have to rhyme! And the second thing? 

Anyone can write a poem! That means me ... and that means you!

                                                         And that means your children, too!

                                                             

 

                                     I love to see kids make their poetry personal to them!                                                                 Keep reading to find out how to help elementary-age students                                                                                       read and write their own poems!

    

                                                 

Hello Educators, Librarians, Media Specialists, and Administrators!

Do your students wait for April's Poetry Month to experience the joy of poetry?

Why wait? Invite VA Rivera's Poetry Workshop into your elementary classrooms.

Students will read and write poetry any month of your choosing based on two recent poetry publications: Kids Read and Write Japanese Haiku, and Kids Read and Write Japanese Tanka.

 

Students will create original handwritten poems by:

  • examining forms of Japanese Poetry

  • having fun finding themes

  • reading model poems

  • discussing patterns

  • spending time writing and sharing

  • enjoying poetic experiences enriching the rest of their lives

                                                                   

During my 30 years as an elementary classroom teacher, my students experienced new and exciting forms of poetry all year long. Together we read model poems, discussed formats and patterns, and spent time writing poems and sharing with each other.

By the end of each school year, my students owned an original personal Poetry Journal filled with their own hand-written poetry!    

And oh, what a joy!

I would love to spread that same joy of poetry with your students!

Contact me today to discuss your poetry workshop needs!

Yours in Verse, 

VA Rivera        

                                                                     

                                                          "I am so pleased there is this resource for teaching how to read and write poems.

                                                              No more moans and groans from students when I introduce poetry lessons!"

                                                                                                  Mrs. Hernandez, ESL Teacher, Bronx, NY 

FAQs:

For what age groups do you write?

Children ages 8+ 

Are children encouraged to read aloud the poems?

Yes! Absolutely! Read out loud, read silently, read with a friend, read to a pet, read with an adult! Read with anyone!

Are children encouraged to write poems?

Yes! Absolutely! I encourage children to try writing their own poems using the types and patterns of model poems I have written in my books.

As a matter of fact, I love to read copies of students' original poetry! Students can use the box below to email me a poem!

Schools- Inquire About a Visiting Author Poetry Workshop!

Kids, share your original poems here with VA Rivera!

Location

VA Rivera Kids Read and Write
Westchester, New York                                                                                        United States

 

Buy VA Rivera Paperbacks/eBooks on Amazon Books/ Kindle:

  • Kids Read and Write Japanese Haiku
  • Kids Read and Write Japanese Tanka          

 

*Book a Visiting Author Poetry Workshop Today!

 Not Just in April ... Any Time of Year!