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Why Join the Missouri State Reading Council?*
MSC-IRA is committed to promoting literacy statewide. MSC-IRA members share an interest in following the current trends in literacy and reading instruction. Membership in MSC-IRA provides opportunities to learn about the latest developments in literacy education and to meet and interact with local leaders as well as leaders across the state. Information about the newest teaching materials and professional publications is shared at meetings. MSC-IRA co-sponsor’s both the Write to Learn and Missouri Early Learning Conferences to provide opportunities to gain insights into special issues and concerns in reading such as the new Missouri State Standards, Title I, balanced literacy, parent programs, research-based teaching strategies, and much more.
Benefits of Membership in MSC-IRA*
● Learn about the latest developments in literacy education
● Meet and interact with the best in local literacy leaders as well as those across the state
● Receive information about the newest teaching materials and professional publications
● Gain insights into special issues and concerns in reading such as Title I, balanced literacy, parent programs and research based teaching strategies by attending our annual conference
● Receive the support and camaraderie of others who share a common interest in literacy
Diana Houlle,
Director of Membership for MSC
*Editors note. We are in the process of becoming affiliated with the International Literacy Association, formally the International Raading Association. Labels, logos and names will change as that change takes effect.
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bekah E. Piper
Laurie A. Sharp, Ed.D.
Roberta D. Raymond, Ed.D.
Mary Jo Fresch
● Start a before- during - or after school poetry club. Provide time and a place for kids to connect with the muse. Finding even ten minutes for poetry after lunch can make a difference. Invite parents to a class or schoolwide poetry party performance.
● Name each weekday for a different kind of poem. Look for a poem that fits the description. Read the poem aloud to yourself and to at least one other person. You can use the same names throughout the month or change them each week. Examples.
○ Funny Monday
○ Thoughtful Tuesday
○ Surprising Wednesday
○ Historical Thursday
○ Famous Person Friday
● I think a big part of teaching younger kids about poetry is you've GOT to make it relative to THEM! I provide the kids with LOTS of poetry books to browse through. (I usually have at least two milk crates full of poetry books!) I don't tell them which one(s) they have to look at... I let THEM choose! Have available some books with many poems in them, and some books that are an entire story told in poetry form. The kids love getting to pick and choose which books they read. Be sure to include books they might remember from a younger grade level. They love to "reminisce" about books they read when they were "younger." Have the kids read to themselves, or as partners. Being able to share their "discoveries" with someone else is powerful! Make sure you have books of "silly" poetry, as well! I had a 5th grader years ago who was in total shock to realize that poetry could be fun!
● ”Author's Tea” in the school library at the end of a poetry unit. Parents were invited to read the poetry ‘books’ each child created (with examples of many different styles of poems) and nibble on cookies. The kids loved it, and so did the adults. Until COVID restrictions allow something like this again, maybe video each student reading a favorite poem or two that they created. Make this video available on the school website, or teacher's personal page.”
● Breathe. Stretch. Wiggle. Dance. March. Stomp. Reach! I recommend a book called HOP TO IT: Poems to Get You Moving. It’s an anthology of 100 poems by 90 poets—with fun factoids sprinkled throughout, thematic mini-lessons, and extensive back matter featuring useful tips to help maximize student learning. You can read all the poems during National Poetry Month, but there are enough that you can share a new poem or two each week of the school year—and come back to share your students' favorite poems over and over! Poems involve the whole body and incorporate a wide variety of movements—including deskercise!”
● Last year, another poet and I made videos for the DeKalb Library’s site. In the past, the Peachtree City and Fayette County Public Libraries have invited poets to present one to three poems for a live audience of poetry lovers.
● One year my principal had me read a poem I wrote for an assembly.
● Pre-pandemic, we would ask permission to go into a school and do a "poetry break" where we would literally just walk into a classroom, shout ‘Poetry Break,’ read a short poem, and go back out. We know a couple of school librarians who took up the idea and did it in their own school (much easier for them to get the word out to teachers about when they were coming etc...) We got the idea, as I recall, from a book by Caroline Feller Bauer called The Poetry Break.
● Some schools have a short poem read as part of morning school announcements in April.
● Most bloggers do something special every April-- many with daily posts. That's certainly what I do-- a different post for every day in April. So, I would encourage readers to check out previous April blog posts on many blogs for a gold mine of good ideas.
● One of my favorite activities is poetry “tag” where you share poems that link with one another in some way-- one after another.
● I have, and others have, many digital poem videos, interviews with poets, famous quotes about poetry and more. These can add excitement along with learning opportunities through the month of April.
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