Poem of the Month

The Blobfish

“Children will only learn to read when they have language inside of themselves.”
–Bill Martin Jr.

Bill Martin Jr., author of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and more than 300 other books for children, experienced great difficulty reading until poetry helped him relate the sound of words to what was written on the page. The experience made him a lifelong advocate for poetry.

The daily exposure to the richness of poetry is a simple, effective way to fill a child’s mind with language, to inspire them to read and write, and to spark creative and critical thinking. Some poems, like “The Blobfish,” are also excellent opportunities to develop social and emotional learning.

“The Blobfish” is a favorite among teachers and students alike, sparking meaningful discussions around empathy, kindness, and the power of words to help or to hurt.

Poetry is also a great way to reinforce essential reading skills in just a few minutes a day. Simply read the poem every day for a week and use the built-in five-day lesson plan to focus on a different literacy strand each day.

“The Blobfish” is part of the Grade 2 Whole-Class Resources kit but can be enjoyed by children and teachers of all ages!

Sign up or log in to read the poem and to download the 5-Day Lesson Plan and printable Blackline Master from the Related Resources section below.

To read more about the power of poetry, check out Jill Eggleton’s article, “A Passion for Poetry.”

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Check back next month for a brand-new JillE Literacy poem to share with your students!