NURSERY RHYME LESSON
To Market

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To Market
Text Type: Poetry • Word Count: 46

Nursery Rhyme Summary
The children in this delightful classic nursery rhyme are off to market, to market to buy a pig, a hog, and a tasty plum bun. Students will delight in the charming illustrations and easy-to-read format of this famous poem.

Build Background
Ask students about going to the market (students may relate supermarket or other shopping experiences). With whom do they go shopping? Do your students enjoy shopping? Explain that many centuries ago, it was common for farm animals to be bought and sold in a market.

Discuss poetry's rhymes and rhythms. Read the first line and ask students to come up with a word that rhymes with pig. Use other familiar rhymes as references. Also explain that poetry's syllables follow a rhythm or "beat."

Preview the Poem
Show students the cover of the book and read the title. Open the book to the title page. Ask students what they see in the pictures. Ask if any students have heard this nursery rhyme. Because nursery rhymes are passed down orally, students may know a different version than the one in the book. Allow students to recite the version they know. Have other students predict what will happen in the book based on what they see in the illustrations.

During the Reading
Allow students to stop and ask questions during reading, especially if there is something they do not understand. Remind students that nursery rhymes may have nonsense words they don't recognize; those words are for fun and to make a rhythm.

If reading aloud, be sure to read with expression. Emphasize the rhyming words and rhythms in the poem. Use think-aloud strategies and react to parts of the book with facial expressions and gestures.

After the Reading
Reader Response
Ask students what they thought of the poem. Have volunteers summarize the poem or name their favorite part.

Comprehension
Ask specific questions that allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the poem.

• What was the first thing the children bought?
  
• What were the second and third things?
  What would you buy at this market?