POEMS FOR IDIOMS – CLEVER POEMS TO EXPLAIN IDIOMS
All published by Perfect Poems
POB 896
Washington, UT 84780
www.perfectpoems.com
Ph: 435-628-3504
Email: [email protected]
By Janet Esposito
Ask anyone learning the English language, and you will hear that idioms are one of the most difficult things to grasp. Even if you understand all of the words and the meanings of those words, often the phrase still does not make sense. “Cat got your tongue?” “Face the music.” “Spill the beans.” All of these phrases and many others are meaningless to those who do not understand the cultural context behind them. Author Adele Tolley Wilson has authored “Poems for Idioms” to address this exact problem.
Whether your student is an English Language Learner, or has challenges with relating to others, or just needs some extra help, these poems will bring out the “hidden” meaning of many idioms in our strange and wonderful language. Most of the poems are fairly short and all of them are fun and easy to read. Even young students can easily read and understand all of the selections in “Poems for Idioms.” Your student will love the vibrant, imaginative scenes described, while learning how to identify the real meaning behind these phrases.
Parents will appreciate the fun and kid-friendly explanations of these idioms, also. And you can try incorporating art, movements, costumes, play-acting, and puppets to really bring the lesson to life. You can use a flashlight to illustrate “Look on the Bright Side.” Discuss determination while reading “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day,” then expand the lesson to explore Roman history, geography, and influence on today’s world. With poems covering 45 different idioms, you will find enough material to provide hours of learning fun. To order “Poems for Idioms” and explore other poetry selections to use in your classroom, please visit the website at www.perfectpoems.com.
MRS. VET’S ALPHABET – PHONICS CHUNK POEMS
More and more homeschool and public school classrooms are gravitating towards phonics-focused reading curricula. Most words in the English language are rarely pronounced following the letter sounds and are not easily “sounded out.” Using phonics, students learn word families (or “word chunks”), such as “-ace,” and “-ing,” and “oot.” Phonics is popular because it works, but an essential part is rhyming and visual references. This is more than just fun and games for learning phonics; it is how the kids learn.
“Mrs. Vet’s Alphabet” is a collection of poems that help kids learn word chunks using fun rhymes and vibrant, visual language. Like all great children’s poetry, the entire book is fun to read for both educator and student. From cowboys, to soccer, to puppies, to insects, to bathtubs, pumpkins, and even elephant eggs – each poem is a journey for your child’s imagination.
Most importantly, every poem was developed to build young reader’s fluency. “Mrs. Vet’s Alphabet” is ideal for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade classrooms – perfect for emergent readers. Educators in classrooms across the country are using these poems with amazing results. And because the book is indexed alphabetically according to phonics chunk, it is fast and easy to find the perfect poem for your phonics reading lesson on any given day.
WHAT’S MATTER AND OTHER CONTENT POEMS – POEMS THAT TEACH SCIENCE CONCEPTS
Poetry is beautiful, funny, romantic, inspiring, and emotional, but rarely is it scientific. While science and poetry are not commonly associated, poems are a wonderful way to express the beauty, grandeur, and harmony found throughout nature and the scientific world. Author Adele Tolley Wilson has compiled “What’s Matter and Other Content Poems,” a book of poetry that engages young children through fun, imaginative poems while exploring the scientific world.
More than just cute science poems (which they are!), this collection of poems help to reinforce your current science curriculum. Students learn about environmental science, the solar system, electricity, weather, and much more. Every one of the poems is packed with layers of information to help kids understand and remember complex and abstract scientific processes. While Mother Nature is never simple, “What’s Matter and Other Content Poems” distills your “boring” science curriculum into fun, memorable poems that kids will love.
Incorporating poetry into your lesson plans makes learning science fun and meaningful. Science is full of adventure, discovery, and exploration, not memorization, repetition, and regurgitation. Bring abstract and complex scientific concepts into your child’s reality. Who knows – your student may be inspired to become the next scientific poet of the world!
PLUM GUM – PHONICS CHUNK POEMS
Teaching children to read can be challenging, but making it a fun and rewarding process is the real difficulty. No matter which curricula you use, it is essential to engage kids using multiple learning styles. Employing multi-sensory methods brings the lessons to life and makes them “real” for young minds. And this is especially true for students using phonics. Kids learn to read through rhyming and visual association – this is a fundamental part of the learning process for every child learning to read with a phonics curriculum.
Author Adele Tolley Wilson, a teacher for more than 25 years, has written a book of 101 funny, imaginative, and joyful poems designed to build fluency in young readers. Using phonics to teach reading, students learn word families (or “word chunks”), such as “-ound,” and “-ing,” and “tion.” Phonics is popular because it works, but an essential part is rhyming and visual references. Every one of the poems in “Plum Gum” offers entertaining rhymes with entertaining and memorable visual associations. These poems are more than just entertaining; it is how the kids make learning phonics meaningful.
Using fun rhymes and vibrant, visual language, the entire book is fun to read for both educator and student. “Plum Gum” is a journey for your child’s imagination that will inspire a lifelong love of poetry. Most importantly, every poem was developed to build young reader’s fluency. You will be amazed by your student’s abilities! The book is popular among educators in classrooms across the country who can attest to its success and popularity. And because the book is indexed alphabetically according to phonics chunk, it is fast and easy to find the perfect poem for your phonics reading lesson on any given day. But remember to stay flexible: kids often find a favorite that they will ask for again and again!
To order these four books and other poetry selections by Ms. Wilson, please visit the website at www.perfectpoems.com. JE
