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Instruction in phonological awareness includes rhyme awareness. Rhyme awareness is the understanding that certain word endings sound alike, and therefore contain the same sounds, such as the short /a/ and /p/ sounds in cap and map or the long /i/ and /t/ combination in fight and kite. 
National Research Panel, 2000




Awesome nursery rhymes! They're wonderful for developing phonemic awareness.
Tom Stahly; First-Grade Teacher; Decker Elementary School; Clark County School District; Las Vegas, NV

Why Teach Poetry?
There are many benefits that can be gained by exposing students to poetry reading and writing activities. If you’re hesitant about teaching or learning poetry, here are five great reasons why using poetry in the classroom is a must! 

Top Five Reasons Why Students Should Study Poetry 

1. Poetry supports the development of the building blocks of literacy as defined in Put Reading First and No Child Left Behind

2. Poetry supports the development of writing paradigms, such as The Six Traits of Writing, and addresses needs to raise the standards for writing.

3. Poetry is an excellent venue to teach and reinforce discrete grammar and vocabulary skills. 

4. Poetry provides a focus for reading and writing, and helps students learn how to be concise. 

5. Poetry supports components defined in brain research such as the importance of searching for patterns, and is an acceptable way for students to express emotions and feelings. 

Reading A-Z offers printable teacher materials to teach students how to read, identify, and write poetry. The teaching resources include professionally developed downloadable poetry books, traditional nursery rhymes, and a poetry writing program with lessons and scaffolded worksheets to teach students to write various forms of poetry.  

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Poetry Writing Program
Direct instruction on 11 types of poetry are provided in Reading A-Z's poetry program. The program includes detailed lessons for the teacher, and examples of each poetry type with scaffolded writing worksheets for the student.

Acrostic
Choral Poetry
Cinquain
Clerihew
Diamante
Free Verse
Haiku
Limerick
Tanka
Triangle Triplet
Rap

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Nursery Rhymes and Poetry Books
The series of Poetry Books borrows from many traditional rhymes, classic rhymes, and commissioned works. The books are an excellent way to introduce various rhyme patterns. When used as read-alouds with early emergent readers, the books provide opportunities for students to listen for rhyming patterns, an important phonological awareness skill. More advanced readers can enjoy reading books with rhyme and rhythm.

Nursery Rhymes:
Book 1: The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Book 2: The Lion and the Unicorn
Book 3: Wee Willie Winkie
Book 4: Baa Baa Black Sheep
Book 5: There Was a Crooked Man
Book 6: Jack and Jill
Book 7: Mary Had a Little Lamb
Book 8: Little Boy Blue
Book 9: Little Miss Muffet
Book 10: Hey, Diddle Diddle
Book 11: Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat
Book 12: Ladybug, Ladybug
Book 13: Humpty Dumpty
Book 14: Little Jack Horner
Book 15: To Market
Book 16: Doctor Foster
Book 17: Two Blackbirds
Book 18: This Little Piggy
Book 19: I Had a Little Hen

Poetry Books:
Book 1: Trick or Treat! A Halloween Rhyme
Book 2: Lotsa Pasta
Book 3: Bird Children
Book 4: Mother Earth's Children
Book 5: Flower Children
Book 6: Wildflower Children
Book 7: Bird Children Book 2
Book 8: Mother Earth's Children Book 2
Book 9: Flower Children Book 2
Book 10: Wildflower Children Book 2
Book 11: Summer's a Bummer
Book 12: Susan
Book 13: Christmas in Animal Land
Book 14: I Had a Great Day
Book 15: Making Spaghetti
Book 16: Snow
Book 17: Just the Wind
Book 18: Peter Pumpkin Picker
Book 19: Poetry Anthology
Book 20: Trading for Lunch Money
Book 21: Tread Softly
Book 22: Ocean Poems
Book 23: The Meaning of Numbers
Book 24: How Long?
Book 25: Looking for Numbers
Book 26: I'm All Right
Book 27: Reading Mysteries
Book 28: My Places
Book 29: So Much to Learn
Book 30: Circle of Smiles
Book 31: Winter Holidays
Book 32: Making Changes: Poems about
                  Great African-Americans
Book 33: Expressing Myself
Book 34: A Nation Arises
Book 35: The Rabbit
Book 36: Miss Susie: A Handclap Game
Book 37: The Perfect Snowball
Book 38: Winter Is Fun
Book 39: I'm Never Alone
Book 40: Planets of My Solar System
Book 41: My Stars NEW!

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