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Nursery rhymes	Nursery rhymes (like Humpty Dumpty) have strong rhythms and appeal to very young children. You should make yourself familiar with a wide range and decide which ones you think your students will like. Nursery rhymes are very short, so you can develop a routine of reading one a day with students.
Action rhymes	Action rhymes are like nursery rhymes except that there is a set of actions which accompany them. For further information and many practical suggestions, see: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~pfa/dreamhouse/nursery/reading.html
Counting out rhymes	Counting out rhymes and skipping rhymes are very rhythmic rhymes that young children often chant when they need to find someone to be the first 'victim' for games such as Hide-and-Seek. They are also used to keep steady time when children are skipping with a rope. They are easy to learn and they can be chanted by the whole class. Hong Kong students are familiar with the tradition of counting out for games like 'Hide and seek', and typically use 'Paper-scissors-rock' to decide who is the victim. Remind your students of this activity and tell them that playground rhymes can also be used, with one child pointing to each person in turn as they chant the rhyme.
Tongue twisters	Tongue twisters are short poems which are difficult to say and which often do not rhyme. They are designed to be said very quickly and provide useful practice in producing English sounds. Here is an example which focuses on the 's' and 'sh' sounds: She sells sea shells on the sea-shore.
Jazz chants	Jazz chants are very useful for introducing the concepts of stress and word linking, and students love to chant them. They are probably more appropriate for reciting than for writing. An easy chant to begin with is called 'I scream'. Write the words on the board, and then get the students to start clapping rhythmically. As they clap, you should start the chant, then ask them to join you. The students will make lots of noise with this one, so you should close the windows and door first! Here are the words: I scream I scream, You scream, We all scream, for icecream!
Catalogue poems	Catalogue poems are good for getting students started in writing poetry. A catologue poem is basically a list of ideas around a particular theme or key word, such as 'school': School is fun, School is busy, School is hard work, School is where I meet my friends.
Acrostic poems	Acrostic poems begin with a word such as a name or a descriptive adjective which is written vertically, either down the left hand margin of the page or in the middle. Each letter begins a line which relates to the theme of the poem. Here is an acrostic, again on the theme of 'school': Scary, Chaotic, Hellish, Oh no! Oh dear! Let me out of here!
Cinquain	Cinquain is a French word for a five-line poem which is designed to convey an image of a person, place, thing or idea. Here is the basic structure: Line 1: one word to state the subject Line 2: two words to describe the subject Line 3: three words to describe the subject Line 4: four words to describe or comment on the subject Line 5: one word to summarise or comment on the subject
Diamond poems	Diamond poems are seven line poems designed to convey an image of a person, place, thing or idea. Usually, there are two aspects to the description, for example a comparison or contrast. A diamond poem is similar to a cinquain, except that it is in two distinct parts. Here is the basic structure: Line 1: one word to state the first subject Line 2: two adjectives to describe the first subject Line 3: three -ing words which are related to the first subject Line 4: two nouns related to the first subject; two nouns related to the second subject Line 5: three -ing words which are related to the second subject Line 6: two adjectives to describe the second subject Line 7: one word to state the second subject
Haiku	Haiku is a Japanese poem that describes some aspect of nature. The haiku is in three lines, and strictly speaking, there should be five syllables in lines 1 and 3 and seven syllables in the middle line. However, it is not important to insist on this regularity when starting students off. Here is an example (in translation) of a haiku by a Japanese poet called Moritake: A fallen blossom is coming back to the branch. Look - a butterfly!
Limericks	Limericks are humorous poems which retell a comic incident. There is a strict rhyme scheme in which lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme. Limericks are probably too difficult for many students at this level to produce, but they may enjoy hearing them. Here's one for you to enjoy: There was an Old Man in a boat, Who said, 'I'm afloat! I'm afloat!' When they said, 'No! you aint!' He was ready to faint, That unhappy Old Man in a boat. There was an Old Person in Gray, Whose feelings were tinged with dismay; She purchased two Parrots, And fed them with Carrots, Which pleased that Old Person in Gray. Edward Lear If you would like to look at a website with some limericks written by school children in the UK, click here: www.edleston.cheshire.sch.uk/projects/Limericks/Limericks.htm

There are many different types of poems, and if you want to get your students writing poetry then you might consider introducing them to a wide variety of poems for enjoyment first.