How to Write a Rhyming Poem for Grade 3

Third graders could write poems about summer or about the seasons in general.

Teaching English or a Language Arts class can be brutal if your students are not having any fun with the material. One way to keep your students occupied is to let them use their creative skills to write poetry. Third graders are capable of writing some profound thoughts when prompted and given a topic. Have your third grade class write rhyming poems.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencils

Instructions

1. Teach your students about quatrain poems. Quatrain poems are written with four-line stanzas and the end words of each line are part of a rhyming pattern. One common example is ABAB; in this form, the first and third lines end in words that rhyme with each other and the second and fourth lines end in words that rhyme with each other. AABB is another form; the first and second lines rhyme with each other and the third and fourth words rhyme with each other.

2. Provide your students with a topic. The third graders from the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning wrote poems about fall (see Resources). Seasons make a good topic; holidays also provide inspiration.

3. Provide your students with a list of words that relate to your topic. Organize the word list so that the various words are grouped in rhyming patterns. Explain that the students do not need to use the words on the list; but that they can if they get stuck for ideas. To help you compile a list of words, use a rhyming dictionary (see Resources).

4. Brainstorm for five to 10 minutes. Think about the topic and what words you or the students want to use to form the end words of your stanzas.

5. Organize rhyming end words into your chosen rhyming pattern. For example, if your topic is "summer" and your rhyming pattern is AABB, you could pick the following end words: red, bed, beach, peach.

6. Write phrases to finish each line. For example, your first stanza could be: summer's light burning red/ now it's time for me to bed/ and dream about the waves and beach/ of summer breeze; of eating a peach.

References

• Ed Helper: Quatrain Poetry

Resources

• Rhyme Zone: Rhyming Dictionary
• Bronx Charter School for Better Learning: Third Grade Poetry