I’m Thankful
A Response to Poetry Writing Idea
Poetry is not just for preschoolers who are learning how to read. Poetry can also be used with older children for comprehension exercises such as interpretation or for writing response. Children can find the rhyming patterns in a poem so that they can copy that pattern when writing their own version of the poem or simply respond to each line. Students need to continue to practice writing at home in order to be successful in school. Here is a writing exercise using Jack Prelutsky’s poem I’m Thankful.
I’m Thankful
by Jack Prelutsky
I’m thankful for my baseball bat,
I cracked it yesterday,
I’m thankful for my checker set,
I haven’t learned to play,
I’m thankful for my mittens,
one is missing in the snow,
I’m thankful for my hamsters,
they escaped a month ago.
I’m thankful for my basketball,
it’s sprung another leak,
I’m thankful for my parakeet,
it bit me just last week,
I’m thankful for my bicycle,
I crashed into a tree,
I’m thankful for my roller skates,
I fell and scraped my knee.
I’m thankful for my model plane,
it’s short a dozen parts,
I’m thankful for my target game,
I’m sure I’ll find the darts,
I’m thankful for my bathing suit,
it came off in the river,
I’m thankful for so many things,
except, of course, for LIVER!
First, have your child read the entire poem. Next, have him think of some things he is thankful for. Then, allow him to write a response to each line of the poem. Get him started by having him write I’m thankful for_________________ for each line of the poem. If your child is up for a challenge, have him go back and figure out the rhyming pattern in the poem and make sure his version of the poem matches the rhyme scheme. This is a great exercise to do as a Thanksgiving activity, because it makes children think about what they are thankful for.
