Short, fun poems for back to school
— This article was written by Jessica Zimmer, teacher and writer
This fall, you can use enjoyable and thoughtful poetry to teach kindergarten and first grade students to associate sounds with letters. We’ve selected four kid-friendly yet literary poems for you: “Clouds” by Christina Rossetti, “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” by Eugene Field, “Purple Cow” by Gelett Burgess, and “Nonsense Alphabet” by Edward Lear.
All the poems are in the public domain. This means there are no legal concerns about reprinting them and using them for free in your lessons. You can also pick bits and pieces of the poems to use. No one said you had to teach the whole thing! These activities align with many kindergarten and first grade goals in the Common Core State Standards, such as demonstrating an understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). Let’s get started!
The heart of the lesson
The best way to get kids to remember what sound goes with what letter is repetition. Keep showing them the association between the letter and the sound until they remember it. You can help students make associations in a verbal way: write the poem and point at the letter as you read a sound. You can help them make associations in a visual way: have the students make the American Sign Language (ASL) sign for the letter as you read the sound. You can help them make the associations in a written way: say a sound and have students draw the letter for the sound on whiteboards or paper and hold those up.
You can also use letter-sound flashcards, ASL letter-sound cards, speech sound cue cards that show the mouth shape for a sound or letter, or any other method you prefer that gets students to match a sound like /b/ with the upper and lowercase letters “B” and “b.”
As you get students to associate letters and sounds, remember the limitations and unique concerns of your students. For example, if you are teaching the “b” sound, be aware that students with learning disabilities like dyslexia may have trouble distinguishing between lowercase “b” and lowercase “d.” For Spanish-speaking students who are English Language Learners, “b” can sound a lot like “v.” It is a good idea to put “b,” “d,” and “v” all on the board together. Make sure there is space between them. You can also write the letters in different colors. Then have the class say the sounds for these letters.
One of the best ways to teach poetry is through read-alouds. Start by writing the poem beforehand on a large piece of blank butcher paper. This way everyone can see the poem as it is read. Hang the paper with magnets or tape on the board. You can also project it using an Elmo or Smartboard. You can make letters that you want to highlight in the lesson bigger or a different color than the rest of the text.
Then read the poem aloud to the class in a whole-group activity. Alternatively, if the students can already read, one or more students can read the poem aloud to the class. Parents, aides, and volunteers can also read. Don’t be afraid to read or have different people read the poem aloud more than once: at the beginning, middle, and end of the lesson. These poems are enjoyable. They can bear repetition. Also, students love hearing different people read the same poem. Further, many students will love having a turn “on stage.” You can make the activity more fun by asking students to read a poem in their silly voice.
For the long poems like “Nonsense Alphabet” and “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” the whole poem is likely too much for a kindergarten or first grade class. One section or one block of verse is enough. For “Nonsense Alphabet,” you may want to read the verse for each letter every day until you are done. You may need to look up some words in the poems before you start. This is because you will need to go over unfamiliar vocabulary in the poems with students. For example, in “Nonsense Alphabet,” a jackdaw is a small, gray-headed crow. In “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” a trundle bed is a low bed on wheels that can be stored under a larger bed.
General tips for making content accessible
1. Write the first letters of first names larger than the other letters in the words. For example, the “W” in “Wynken” can be bigger than the other letters in the word.
2. Write the first letters in a different color than the other letters in the word.
3. Point to letters that you want to emphasize as you or the student reads.
4. Select letter-sounds that are markedly different from one another to emphasize in a lesson. For example, “W,” “B,” and “N” in Wynken, Blynken, and Nod are great. The “W,” “B,” and “N” look and sound very different from one another. In contrast, it would not be good to teach a lesson with letters that look alike, like “W” and “M.” The exception is if you want to highlight the difference between them.
5. Limit the number of letter-sounds you emphasize per lesson. Write them in a separate spot with some directions on the whiteboard. Go over the directions. Example: “Today, we’re learning “W,” “B,” and “N.”” Even if the students don’t understand all of what you have written, they will see the “W,” “B,” and “N” shapes on the board. They will know to pay special attention to these shapes.
6. Pass around items that allow students to see the letters as you read. The students can hold these up as someone reads aloud. Good items are foam letters, alphabet blocks, and construction paper letter cutouts. Imagine reading aloud the name “Wynken” and all of the students holding up their “W’s.”
7. Allow a student to stand with a pointer at the side of the butcher paper. When someone reads an important letter-sound, they point to it. Example: One student stands by the poem and reads the name “Wynken.” The other student with the pointer points to the “W” in “Wynken.” The student with the pointer can also pause and get feedback from the class as to which letter he or she should point to.
8. Use an alphabet chart. When teaching “Nonsense Alphabet,” you may benefit from pointing or having a student point to the letters on an alphabet chart.
9. Anyone who is reading a poem should do so slowly, loudly, and in their best reading voice, even if that is a silly voice!
Art extensions
1. All activities: allow students to draw a picture of what they think or imagine about the poem on a piece of blank paper.
Other activities: show students a pre-made model of what the finished product should look like. Review the steps of the activity with the students before they start.
2. “Clouds”: use cotton balls and glue to help students make fluffy sheep on a blue background. Use small pre-cut black rectangles for hooves and a large white rectangle for a face. Students can draw the eyes and nose on the sheep’s face.
3. “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod:” provide students with pre-cut brown half-circles of construction paper for the wooden shoe boats. Have students glue these onto blank construction paper. Students can then cut out or draw three little figures to put in the boats. They can draw the sea under the boats too.
4. “Purple Cow”: Provide a pre-cut purple construction paper rectangle as well as purple, silver, blue, gold, and yellow glitter, crayons, pre-cut eyes and glue. Allow children to glue the elements of the face together.
5. “Purple Cow:” have students create a paper plate cow face or a cow mask with the main color being purple.
6. “Nonsense Alphabet:” provide students with a blank coloring book-type line drawing of the picture of the item described in the verse to color.
Follow-up
7. Letter-sound worksheets: provide students with worksheets for particular letter-sounds. The student practices printing the letter and circling items that start with it. Example: worksheet has the letter “C” on it and some instructions and models about how to print the letter “C.” It also has several examples of words that begin with “c”: cat, curb, crayon, cup, candle.
Thank you
Please contact us with your suggestions or thoughts on this activity. We’d love to hear from you.
1. “Clouds” by Christina Rossetti
White sheep, white sheep,
On a blue hill,
When the wind stops,
You all stand still.
When the wind blows,
You walk away slow.
White sheep, white sheep,
Where do you go?
2. “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” by Eugene Field
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe, —
Sailed on a river of crystal light
Into a sea of dew.
“Where are you going, and what do you wish?”
The old moon asked the three.
“We have come to fish for the herring-fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we,”
Said Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.
The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe;
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew;
The little stars were the herring-fish
That lived in the beautiful sea.
“Now cast your nets wherever you wish, —
Never afraid are we!”
So cried the stars to the fishermen three,
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.
All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam, —
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
Bringing the fishermen home:
’Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed
As if it could not be;
And some folk thought ’twas a dream they’d dreamed
Of sailing that beautiful sea;
But I shall name you the fishermen three:
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.
Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one’s trundle-bed;
So shut your eyes while Mother sings
Of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
As you rock in the misty sea
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three: —
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.
3. “The Purple Cow” by Gelett Burgess
I never saw a Purple Cow,
I never hope to see one,
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I’d rather see than be one!
4. “Nonsense Alphabet” by Edward Lear
A — A was an ant, Who seldom stood still, And who made a nice house, In the side of a hill. a Nice little ant!
B — B was a book, With a binding of blue, And pictures and stories, For me and for you. b Nice little book!
C — C was a cat, Who ran after a rat; But his courage did fail, When she seized on his tail. c Crafty old cat!
D — D was a duck, With spots on his back, Who lived in the water, And always said “Quack!” d Dear little duck!
E — E was an elephant, Stately and wise: He had tusks and a trunk, And two queer little eyes. e Oh, what funny small eyes!
F — F was a fish, Who was caught in a net; But he got out again, And is quite alive yet. f Lively young fish!
G — G was a goat, Who was spotted with brown: When he did not lie still, He walked up and down. g Good little goat!
H — H was a hat, Which was all on one side; Its crown was too high, And its brim was too wide. h Oh, what a hat!
I — I was some ice, So white and so nice, But which nobody tasted; And so it was wasted. i All that good ice!
J — J was a jackdaw, Who hopped up and down, In the principal street, Of a neighboring town. j All through the town!
K — K was a kite, Which flew out of sight, Above houses so high, Quite into the sky. k Fly away, kite!
L — L was a light, Which burned all the night, And lighted the gloom, Of a very dark room. l Useful nice light!
M — M was a mill, Which stood on a hill, And turned round and round, With a loud hummy sound. m Useful old mill!
N — N was a net, Which was thrown in the sea, To catch fish for dinner, For you and for me. n Nice little net!
O — O was an orange, So yellow and round: When it fell off the tree, It fell down to the ground. o Down to the ground!
P — P was a pig, Who was not very big; But his tail was too curly, And that made him surly. p Cross little pig!
Q — Q was a quail, With a very short tail; And he fed upon corn, In the evening and morn. q Quaint little quail!
R — R was a rabbit, Who had a bad habit, Of eating the flowers, In gardens and bowers. r Naughty fat rabbit!
S — S was the sugar-tongs, sippity-see, To take up the sugar, To put in our tea. s sippity-see!
T — T was a tortoise, All yellow and black: He walked slowly away, And he never came back. t Torty never came back!
U — U was an urn, All polished and bright, And full of hot water, At noon and at night. u Useful old urn!
V — V was a villa, Which stood on a hill, By the side of a river, And close to a mill. v Nice little villa!
W — W was a whale, With a very long tail, Whose movements were frantic, Across the Atlantic. w Monstrous old whale!
X — X was King Xerxes, Who, more than all Turks, is Renowned for his fashion , Of fury and passion. x Angry old Xerxes!
Y — Y was a yew, Which flourished and grew, By a quiet abode, Near the side of a road. y Dark little yew!
Z — Z was some zinc, So shiny and bright, Which caused you to wink, In the sun’s merry light. z Beautiful zinc!
Resources Utilized
- “Clouds” by Christina Rossetti — https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/clouds
2. “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” by Eugene Field — https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/wynken-blynken-and-nod
3. “Nonsense Alphabet” by Edward Lear — https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/nonsense-alphabet
4. “The Purple Cow” by Gelett Burgess — https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/purple-cow
5. Mask Spot’s “Cow Mask” — http://maskspot.com/download/cow-mask/
6. DLTK’s Craft for Kids “Paper Plate Cow Craft” — http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mplate-cow.htm
7. Common Core State Standards Initiative — ELA Standards — Reading: Foundational Skills — Kindergarten — http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RF/K/
8. Common Core State Standards Initiative — ELA Standards — Reading: Foundational Skills — First Grade — http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RF/1/
© July 3, 2017 by Jessica Zimmer
