OCTOBER POETRY PROGRAM

FOR THE PRIMARY GRADES

Books Needed

Florian, Douglas – Monster Motel

Prelutsky, Jack – Hallowe’en

                         – It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles

Wong, Janet S. – Good Luck Gold and Other Poems

Yolen, Jane – Best Witches

1)     Explain to the children that they already know some poetry, nursery rhymes for example.  If it is a longer program, recite a few together.

2)     Show enlarged copy of Prelutsky’s “Chocolate-Covered Salami”.  Introduce the highlighted words and their rhyming qualities before reading the poem.

3)     Show enlarged copy of Prelutsky’s “An Elephant is Hard to Hide”.  Again introduce the rhyming pairs emphasizing the pattern that is different from the first poem.  When you read the poem pause before some of the rhyming words to see if they can supply it. Hint with the beginning sound if needed.  “Shut” in the first stanza, and “tried” and “noon” in the last stanza seem to be the easiest ones.

4)     Read some of Janet S. Wong’s work explaining hat poems are not always meant to be funny, and some don’t rhyme. Explain the word “Popo” before reading  “Grandmother’s Cure”, and then read “Home”.  These poems also introduces a female, non-Caucasian poet, although you needn’t verbally emphasize it.  Pointing to her picture on the book jacket should be sufficient.

5)     Return to funny poems with Prelutsky’s “My Brother Shave His Teddy Bear” pausing before “toe”, “him”, and “wrong” so that the children can supply the rhyming word.

6)     Display and read two shape poems, pointing to the words as you read them to emphasize the shape: Prelutsky’s “I Am Winding Through a Maze” and “I Am Stuck Inside a Seashell”.

7)     Display and read Florian’s “Cobra” introducing the idea that sometimes poets make up words or change existing ones.  Then read “October” (below) as an example where the word is used correctly.  In the kindergarten class where this program was originally presented, October was one of their spelling words. 

8)     Continue with autumn poems reading “The Scarecrow” (below) and “Woodland Forest Friends”.

9)     Move into Hallowe’en themes with Florian’s “Monster Motel” and “The Crim.”  With these poems it perhaps works best to show the pictures after reading them.  

10)Read two about bats: Prelutsky’s “Bats” (below) and Shel Silverstein’s “Batty”.

11)Talk about Amanita mushrooms before reading Jane Yolen’s “Best Witches” showing the pictures after reading the poem.

12)Read Prelutsky’s “Hallowe’en” and “The Pumpkin”, pausing for rhyming words with the latter.

13)Read “The Jack-O-Lantern” (below).

14)Talk about rotting pumpkins and then read Prelutsky’s “The Time Has Come”.  Afterwords emphasize the exaggeration at the end as an example of nonsense rhyme.

15)Close by reciting together “Five Little Ghosts” and “Five Little Pumpkins” (below), which many of them will know.  Repeat each at least once if the there is time.

 16) Thank the children and pass out treats if you have chosen to do so.

 

When I did this program for kindergartners they

 thanked me with their “Thank You” poem.

Perfect!

 

Bats

by Jack Prelutsky

 

Bats have shiny leather wings,

bats do many clever things,

bats doze upside-down by ,

bats come out at night to play.

 

 

Bats cavort in soaring cliques,

sounding ultrasonic shrieks,

acrobatic in the sky,

bats catch every bug they spy.

 

Batty

by Shel Silverstein

 

The baby bat

scramed out in fright,

“Turn on the dark,

I’m afraid of the light.”

 

October

     -from Can Teach Songs

 

October’s the month

When the smallest breeze

Gives us a shower

Of autumn leaves.

Bonfires and pumpkins,

Leaves sailing down –

October is red

And golden and brown.

 

The Scarecrow

     - author unknown

 

The farmer made a scarecrow

And stuffed it full of straw.

He put it in the cornfield,

but the crows laughed,

“Haw-caw-caw.”

One crow sat on the scarecrow’s hat.

He was not scared at all.

That scarecrow did not scare away

A single crow that fall!

 

Five Little Ghosts

     - author unknown

 

Five little ghosts all dressed in white

Were scaring each other on Halloween night.

“Boo!” said the first one, “I’ll catch you!”

“Whoo” said the second, “I don’t care if you do!”

The third ghost said, “You can’t run away from me.”

And the fourth one said, “I’ll care everyone I see.”

Then the last one said, “It’s time to disappear.”

“See you at Halloween time next year.”

 

Woodland Forest Friends

     - author unknown

 

Squirrels scurry, rabbits hurry,

Ants hide food inside.

Woodland friends everywhere,

For the long winter must prepare.

And just in time

The pile away their stock.

All without benefit

Of calendars or clock!

 

Five Little Pumpkins

     - author unknown

 

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.

The first one said: “My it’s getting late.”

The second one said: “There are witches in the air.”

The third one said: “But we don’t care.”

The fourth one said: “Let’s run and run and run.”

The fifth one said: “We’re ready for some fun!”

          Then whoooooo went the wind

          and out went the light

And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

 

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