It’s almost National Poetry Month (April!) and it’s time to get our elementary classrooms ready to celebrate! I’ve already written about some of my favorite children’s poetry books, but now it’s time for the online winners. These FREE online poetry resources for elementary teachers are awesome; pick and choose as you like – or use them all!
Online Poetry Resource #1: poets.org
This first online poetry resource is PACKED FULL of resources for you and your students! From full-length poems to poet biographies to lesson plans, GO HERE FIRST! I promise you won’t regret it. It’s a huge website, so I recommend centering your time in the following sections.
National Poetry Month hub
This hub is so teacher-focused and has so many excellent poetry resources for your primary classroom! It has blog posts packed with ideas for celebrating National Poetry Month, lesson plans – even a free poster! Not all of the poems here are elementary-friendly, so it’s important to be choosy. However, with the right lens, I’m confident that teachers of students of all ages will find something to inspire!
Poetry for Kids
Every bit as straightforward as it sounds, this section of the website is geared towards poetry for younger students. Here, you can find a very comprehensive glossary of poetry terms and also libraries of poems organized by theme/topic.
Online Poetry Resource #2: ShelSilverstein.com
Next, hop on over to ShelSilverstein.com for more free online poetry resources. Shel Silverstein has a whole repertoire of downloadable National Poetry Month Resources. From poetry resources that match his numerous books to more generalized teaching poetry tools, it’s a great website to explore!
Online Poetry Resource #3: Peter Reynolds
First of all, I would consider many of Peter Reynolds’ beloved books to be lyrical prose, which I definitely count as poetry within the elementary classroom. Unbeknownst to many, however, this beloved author has also created video resources aimed at elementary children. I love using these poetic films with my first-grade students!
I enjoy all of these animated shorts, but have two particular favorites. First, I especially recommend the visual poem “Keeper of the Flame” about teachers’ roles in fostering children’s love of learning. Elementary students will love the sweet imagery and elementary teachers – just try to keep those tears in your eyes! (I didn’t.)
I also love “The Reflection in Me.” This video creation features a young student examining themselves in a mirror. What follows is a sweet self-to-reflection dialogue. Themes of self-confidence and identity shine through the many affirming similes. I love using this with my “Poems as Identity” inquiry!
Digital Magnetic Poetry Board
The last free online poetry resource is a crowd favorite! Your elementary students will love playing around with this online magnetic word board. The kids’ board option is very versatile. I also love the nature list of words for more outdoor or science-inspired options!
Looking for more ideas about teaching poetry in elementary?
Kindergarten teachers, check out my friend, Zeba McGibbon, over at Kindergarten Cafe for some tips!
Spanish teachers, head on over to check out Courtney Bonino’s teaching poetry ideas at the Learning Llama!
Searching for more poetry resources?
I’ve got you covered! My multigrade poetry analysis resource is perfect for any and every poem! It includes task cards, poetry analysis graphic organizers and so much more! Looking for writing poetry resources? My “Playing with Poetry” writing exploration is a lovely place to start practicing poetry forms and poets’ tools with your elementary students!
Are you looking to go in deep on just one poet?! Use my Amanda Gorman Bundle to dig deep into analyzing poems AND the famous Youth Poet Laureate. Or put my Author Study resources to good use investigating the poets of your students’ choice!
