Fun Poetry Prompt: Onomatopoeia

Get your kids jazzed about poetry during Poetry Month. A great way is to write about something edible — like popcorn – and work on one or more poetic elements. I like to teach repetition, onomatopoeia, and use of white space with popcorn.

Prep your kids with example poems that include repetition, onomatopoeia words, and creative use of white space. You can do this throughout the writing experience.

Remember Batman? Pow! Bam! Wham! Those are all onomatopoeia, or words that sound like what they are. Start an onomatopoeia word collection with your kids.

Onomatopoeia Word List

bank
buzz
click
ding-dong
drip
fizz
hiccup
kerplunk
ow
poof
pop
sizzle
tap
tick-tock
zip
+ animal sound words: meow, woof, snort, hiss, squeak, etc.

Repetition and White Space for Emphasis

Then there’s repetition. Pow! Bam! Wham! It can be used to create emphasis. Pow! Bam! Wham! 

Get artsy with the white space. Write the poem in a way that fits the poem.

Together brainstorm more about the popcorn experience.

Use your five senses. What did you smell, taste, feel, hear, see?

Suggest the kids play around with the words and lines to create their own poems.

Look for fun word combinations that could be repeated throughout the poem.

Model Writing

Listen . . . as you pop popcorn in an air popcorn popper. Laugh and giggle . . . as you write your own poem, showing kids how fun it is to repeat POP! throughout. (Remember, you’re enthusiasm is contagious.)

First Grade Poem

Keep In Mind

– Kids engage and learn when they’re interested. Keep it fun!

– Ratchet your instruction and modeling to be one level above the child’s current level.

– Don’t worry about mechanics — save it for editing later if you must.

– Celebrate all writing! Read your poems at dinner as poems are meant to be read out loud.

Happy Popcorn Poetry!

 Some rights reserved by jam343

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