Mrs. P's Reading is Cool Blog

April is National #PoetryMonth - Resources for teachers & librarians

         
                                                                                 

April is National Poetry Month, and I love poetry! It lets you express your creativity in little bursts because, if you wish, all it takes is just a few lines. You can sing in rhyme, write a haiku, make a poem out of your own name - there are so many possibilities!  On my teacher page, I have a post with tips for classrooms on how to celebrate National Poetry Month, and I’ve also included a link here. 

My favorite poems are those with rhyming verses. Maybe it’s because so many nursery rhymes and their catchy little tunes are still stuck in my head from childhood. Well, it turns out they are also a wonderful way to teach children all kinds of skills and lessons. Kids can learn word- and letter-recognition, phonemic awareness and even basic math concepts with simple rhymes. 

If you’d like to see some of my own favorite rhymes, check out the poetry playlist in my Magic Library!

But that’s not all! April is also the celebration of Poem in Your Pocket Day.

Here’s a cute video made by my friends at Cantata, sharing some delightful poems to inspire you! They even read one I wrote!

Now let’s do a sing-along with Emily Arrow. This catchy tune will have you wanting to keep a poem in your pocket all the time!

 

Need some poems to put in your pocket? Worry not! My friend Shannon McClintock Miller has some great ones here ready for you to print.

All the Reasons I love April! The celebration of Libraries & Reading all Month long!

April is one of my favorite months as it’s the month of transformation. Spring is in the air and you can see and feel the dramatic change everywhere! I  always get so excited too about  National Library Week because let's not forget that Libraries Transform! 

                     National Library Week was first sponsored in 1958. It is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It's a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. What could be better?

 Libraries are not just about what they have for people, but what they do for people. So plan to make a visit to your public, academic, and school libraries to celebrate National Library Week during April .  Here are ways you can celebrate!  And of course, on Twitter you can follow this hashtag #LibrariesTransform

School Libraries will want to bookmark the philanthropic endeavor created by Mackin Education Resources. They have a program called Transform Your School Library (TYSL) and it’s designed to provide school librarians and educators with critical information related to the evolution of today’s school library. Follow the hashtag #MackinTYSL for the ongoing conversation around this movement on Twitter with other school librarians and media specialists. 

Also in April is the celebration of National Bookmobile Day!  It’s happening this year Wednesday, April 13.

And let’s not forget the celebration of “Drop Everything and Read” (D.E.A.R.). Celebrate D.E.A.R. with Beverly Cleary’s wonderful character, Romana Quimby, all month long in April. All you need to do is grab a book, take a seat, and let the reading begin!

It’s also Poem in Your Pocket Day! 
 

Yes, I love April! And I love libraries!  Libraries Matter !