Interactive Pocket Chart {Poem Builder} - FREEBIE!

This past school year I introduced a new centre to my students.  I found that it was perfect for my Year 2 (Senior Kindergarten) students and worked well during small group instruction with my Year 1 (Junior Kindergarten) students.

I have lots of pocket charts that I have purchased over the year and I just attached it to a rolling clothes rack (although I think this year I will actually attach it to the closet you see behind with 3M hooks).

Each Monday morning, I introduce a "Poem of the Week".  We spend time together as a class reciting it (chanting, singing, rapping, etc.) and use our pointers to find letters/sounds or sight words.

We revisit our poem often during the week, listening for rhyming words, replacing words to see if the poem still makes sense and building it together.  

I write it on chart paper so that students can revisit it during the week and use a pointer to "read" the poem - it works great for practicing tracking print!

I also project it on the Bright Links board so that we can manipulate the poem - circle letters, highlight sight words, etc.

I like to cut up the word cards for the poem and place them in a Ziploc bag at the Pocket Chart Centre.  Here students are invited to build the poem (I encourage them to work with a friend to help each other).

In small group lessons, I have students who are working on identifying sight words.  I made this yellow highlighter paper by cutting a plastic pocket folder so that it fits over the cards.  We play games where I call out a sight word and they have to find it, I reach into my bag of sight word cards and see who can read and then find it first on the poem, etc.

To challenge some students, I cut up the words and have them rebuild the poem in a large journal.

I have a LOT of poems!  Although we might not have this activity out every week (I like to use the pocket chart for so many different things), I have them ready in case I need them.

Here's how I store everything:

I store all the poms in a large binder (this one is from Staples - it has a rubber re-enforcer on the side which is excellent!).

Each poem is laminated an kept in a clear plastic page protector.

I store the cut up cards in a small Ziploc bag inside the page protector as well so everything is together.

I know that many of you who own these poems have asked me about storing them.

I have included the title page for the binder here as a free download (and it's editable so you can add your own name, school, etc.)  I created it using Power Point so be sure to download and look at the "Read Me First" section to see which font I used and install it.

Click the picture to download!

You might be interested in these poems which are perfect for Back to School!

You can find all of these poems (and so many more for the entire year!) in my growing bundle where you get all of the poems at a 25% discount!