April is Poetry Month, and I love celebrating it in the library! But I know not all students feel the same way about poetry. A lot of them don’t really enjoy it, mostly because they don’t understand it. That’s totally okay! I like to start with something simple and fun that everyone can enjoy—a Haiku.
Haikus are perfect for students in grades 2-6. They are easy to understand and fun to make. A Haiku is a very short poem, just three lines long. The lines follow a simple syllable pattern: 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, and 5 syllables in the third line. It’s a great way to get started with poetry because the structure is simple and it’s not overwhelming.
To start, I like to read books that are written entirely in Haiku. This helps students hear the rhythm of the Haiku format and see how it can be used to tell a whole story or share a message. Reading these Haiku books gives students a chance to experience how simple syllables can come together to create something beautiful. It also shows them that writing a complete book using Haikus is possible! After hearing the books, students are often excited to try writing their own Haikus.
To help students learn about Haikus, I created my own Google Slides presentation. It takes them step by step through the process of writing a Haiku. I like to go through each slide with the class and explain everything clearly. There’s even a slide where we all work together to create a Haiku as a class. It’s a great way to get everyone involved and show them that poetry isn’t as hard as it seems.
Kwame Alexander has a great video on Youtube that helps students understand Haikus. I use it every year and students are enthralled and listening to his instructions. Here is a link to his video if you would like to use it. Kwame Introduces Haikus
Once the students write their own Haikus, they feel really proud of their work. It’s amazing how something so simple can spark creativity and help them see that poetry can be fun and not so scary after all. So if you want to celebrate Poetry Month in a way that everyone can enjoy, try starting with a Haiku! It’s a great way to show students how easy and fun poetry can be.
Shop here for a poetry unit lesson plan with Haiku presentation included
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