All posts in Leslie Reese

Be Creative!

For my 7th visit with Swift 2nd graders, we read and discussed the poems, “Finding a Poem” by Karla Kuskin, and “Word Builder” by Ann Whitford Paul. We also looked at Katey Howes’ book, […]

“Trees Are Like Old Grandparents”

When I arrived to work with Shoesmith 4th graders, they were enjoying having a Q & A (Question & Answer) period with donors who had brought them a gift of books!! We talked about […]

Imagination Required!

For our sixth sessions together, Swift 2nd graders explored out-of-the-box thinking with the “Swan of Bees” poetry exercise. That’s when we try to make uncommon combinations by joining things like food with furniture, or […]

The worlds inside our dreams and behind our masks

Due to technical difficulties, 4th graders worked on Dream Poems instead of Comparison Poems for our 4th sessions, together. The 5th graders – to use an idiom – put their “noses to the grindstone” […]

Sweeter Dreams, Please!

My 5th sessions with at 2nd graders was filled with reading and storytelling around the subject of dreams, including: weird, funny, or magical sleeping dreams; nightmares, and daydreams. We also noticed a relationship between […]

Sounding Board

“Are listening and hearing the same thing?” asked Shoesmith 4th grader La’Wonn. For my 2nd sessions with Shoesmith 4th graders, we took the time to close our eyes, quiet our mouths, and listen to […]

Wishes on the 100th day of school!

When I arrived at Shoesmith for my first session with 4th graders this year, there appeared to be a number of senior citizens, some stooped over and walking with the help of their canes. […]

Sweating Over Comparisons!💦

For our fourth sessions at Swift, 2nd graders discussed comparisons. Many students already understood that when comparing two things, we look for how those things are similar. We looked at poems written by students, […]

Do You Have a Favorite Sound?

For my third sessions at Kozminski, 4th graders viewed a video of Theresa the Songbird performing her poem, “You So Black.” Students shared their favorite lines in the performance; and then we thought about […]

Winter Wishing

During my 2nd sessions at Kozminski, 4th graders discussed list-making and wish lists; while wrote 5th graders looked at Nikki Giovanni’s “winter poem,” before writing their own wintry stanzas. Bbrrrrr! Ms. Manning4th Grade Wishesby […]

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I’M FROM THE CITY LIGHTS / STREAMING OUT IN THE NIGHT / AND HUGE SKYSCRAPERS / TOWERING OVER THE LAKE – MELISSA E., 7TH GRADE POET