For many students, especially our struggling or emergent writers, poetry is accessible. The short nature of most poetry allows all students to experience success with the writing process. Poetry is also wonderful for helping students to develop their voices. This is the age where children are forming opinions and experiencing new things-poetry gives voice to these thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
Students can explore all of these ideas in a safe way through poetry-with their peers and you, as a guide, right with them.
In terms of reading poetry, poetry spans all genres, all topics, and all forms. There is truly something for everyone from Shel Silverstein to Langston Hughes to Arnold Adoff. Finally, I think poetry speaks to the heart. It has the power to help us look at the world in new and unexpected ways – peeling back the layers of the surface.