Poetry Highlight: Helaine Becker

"Talking is what I do best. Writing is how I talk when no one else is around."

Helaine Becker is an award-winning writer of books for children. She has written over 50 books and also writes for children's magazines and for kids television. She presents (performs) at schools across Canada and the US teaching writing skills for fiction, non-fiction and verse. Ms. Becker also introduces students to aspects of the business side of writing.

 Originally from New York, Ms. Becker is both an American and Canadian citizen. She has lived in Canada for more than 20 years and makes her home in Toronto, with her husband, two sons, and dog, Ella. Ms. Becker pulls inspiration from her reading, extensive travels and experiences as an active swimmer, runner, cyclist, and compulsive read-aholic. She has an orange belt in karate and is contemplating going for her grapefruit belt. (helainebecker.com)

Her poem, Ode to Underwear, was set to music by the Irish Descendants, a Canadian band, and played nationally on CBC radio. More people ask her to read this poem than all her other funny poems combined. It is a popular title at my schools! Plus, it's about underwear. What more could kids want?

 “Everything inspires me. The world is fascinating and so darn silly. And I don’t write for children. I write for myself.”

Books By Helaine Becker:

Helaine Becker's Website: www.helainebecker.com

and Blog: helainebecker.blogspot.ca

Poetry Month Activity ideas

Short on time? Stumped for ideas to engage your students during Poetry Month?

Try some of these great ideas compiled by Erica of the What Do We Do All Day blog. Check out Erica's blog.  It has many easy, fun things that can be incorporated into lessons.

Spine Poem

• Write a spine poem using the books on your shelves.

• Write a simple color poem. (The Measured Mom)

• Write a “never” poem. (The Write Shop)

• Write an acrostic name poem. (Mama Smiles)

• How to write haiku (article by poet Bob Raczka, poet and author of  GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys. Via Imagination Soup)

Concrete (Shape) Poem

• Write a riddle poem. (Imagination Soup)

• Write poetry using magnetic words. Use set of really big magnetic poetry words. It helps take the pressure off writing to have a selection of words to chose from.

• Write a concrete poem. (Poetry 4 Kids)

• Write an “I’m so smart” poem. (Let’s Explore)

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• Seasonal acrostic poems. (Let’s Explore)

• Random word poem. (Simple Kids)

• Write a poem using the 5 senses. (This Reading Mama)

• Create a rhyme using word families. (This Reading Mama)

• Write a diamante poem. (Kid Spot)

Poetry Highlight: Taylor Mali

Taylor Mali
spoken word poet

Mali (pronounced molly) is a vocal advocate of teachers and the nobility of teaching, having himself spent nine years in the classroom teaching everything from English and history to math. Formerly president of Poetry Slam, Inc., the non-profit organization that oversees all poetry slams in North America, Taylor Mali makes his living entirely as a spoken-word and voiceover artist these days, traveling around the country performing and teaching workshops as well as doing occasional commercial voiceover work.



For Poetry Month, I suggest checking out some of Taylor Mali's performances.  Many are available on his website TaylorMali.com and on YouTube.com, including this one on the spacial dilemma that we face in school libraries.

I'll Fight You for the Library

Poetry Month Display Ideas for April

April is Poetry Month!

2014 marks the 16th annual celebration of poetry in Canada. It was established in Canada in April 1998 by the League of Canadian Poets. "National Poetry Month brings together schools, publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, and poets from across the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in Canada’s culture." (poets.ca)

This years theme is "Poetry City"

How will you promote Poetry Month? Here are some display ideas to engage students and excite them about poetry.

Students can copy out a favorite poem to add to the display; or better yet, write their own!

Poem in your pocket 08 by Love Your Library :-) on Flickr

Have students create poetry lines with magnetic words:

from bifocalsandbuns.wordpress.com 

Have some wall space?  Create an interactive Poetry Wall.  Have Students fill in the spaces with their writing. 

Found on indulgy.com

Create a Poetry Tree:

Found on bulletinboardideas.org

Found on schoollibrarydisplays.blogspot.com

Found on google.ca