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Poems & rhymes

Action rhymes

These 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

Here are some action rhymes which you can do with your students:

Incy Wincy Spider

Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the water spout	[fingers express climbing motion]
Down came the rain and washed poor Wincy out!	[arms express rain falling] [arms express water flowing out]
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,	[arms express sun shining] [arms express evaporation]
So Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again.	[fingers express climbing motion]

The little turtle

by Vachel Lindsay

There was a little turtle. He lived in a box. He swam in a puddle. He climbed on the rocks.	[hands make roof shape] [arms make swimming movements] [fingers express climbing motion]
He snapped at a mosquito. He snapped at a flea. He snapped at a minnow. And he snapped at me.	[mouth expresses biting movements]
He caught the mosquito. He caught the flea. He caught the minnow. But he didn't catch me.	[hands make catching motion]

Can you do this?

by Margaret Falvey

Flutter your fingers, And waggle your wrists, Then flap your arms So you look like this.	[fingers flutter] [wrists rotate] [arms flap]
Is your head still, Or is it moving? Nod your head And keep it moving.	[head is still] [head moves in circle] [head nods]
Now move your legs. Don't move around! Just up and down Without a sound.	[walk on the spot] [jump up and down]
Can you do all of it At the same time? You can't?! Don't worry, It's only a rhyme.

This little pig

This little pig went to market,
This little pig stayed at home,
This little pig had roast beef,
This little pig had none,
And this little pig cried,
Wee-wee-wee-wee-wee,
All the way home.

This rhyme is often turned into a game with a very young child. What you do is grasp one of their hands and starting with the thumb, wiggle a finger for each little pig. When you get to the little finger, wiggle it for a second and then on the 'wee-wee-wee' part run your fingers up their arm and tickle them.

Tell me more!

Why should students read poems?
Different types of poems
Helping students to read and recite poems
Helping students to write poems

Sample texts

Some nursery rhymes
Counting out and skipping rhymes
Tongue twisters
Action rhymes
Mike Murphy's Hong Kong poems