Kinds of Poems

Tell free verse, rhymed verse, haiku, and limericks apart, and read one aloud.

Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.

What children learn in Level 71

Rhymed verse uses a pattern of end sounds. Free verse has no set rhyme or beat, and it often sounds like speech.
A haiku has three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. It's often about nature, and it doesn't need to rhyme.
A limerick has five funny lines. Lines one, two, and five rhyme, and so do lines three and four.
When you read a poem aloud, let the punctuation guide you. Pause at commas, and keep going if a line has no punctuation.
Here's a real poem by Robert Frost, from 1923. Rued means felt sorry about. Read it aloud twice, then try saying it from memory.

Georgia's K-12 English Language Arts Standards:

5.T.T.4.b — Apply poetic techniques (e.g., rhyme, rhyme scheme, structure) to produce different types of poetry (e.g., free verse, rhymed verse, haiku, limerick). (C)
5.F.F.1.c — Read a wide range of grade-level texts aloud with accurate and automatic prosody (phrasing, expression, juncture/pause, and intonation) to aid comprehension.
5.P.CP.2.e — Build background knowledge by reciting all or part of significant poems and speeches as appropriate by grade level. (I/C)