Picture Book Poetry: Introduction to Rhythm is a lesson plan and worksheet set for helping young kindergarten or first grade students understand, appreciate, and create poetry by applying concepts from picture books to their own encounters with words. INTRODUCTION TO RHYTHM focuses on the natural rhythm in words: syllables.

The lesson plan includes:

• An annotated picture book list of rhythmic books. (Key books include Tanka Tanka Skunk, Chicken Chicken Duck, and more!)
• A list of activities for extending rhythmic picture books into a lesson syllables in all words.
• A list of some nursery rhymes, limericks, and other poems
• An explanation of the worksheet sets attached.

The worksheets include:

• First step worksheets, where students draw a line or circle the number of syllables in an illustration (three categories: animals, school supplies, and food)
• Second step worksheets, where students cut out clip art and paste it on to a chart under the correct number of syllables (same three categories as above)
• Templates with “drum beats” for the students or a class to create their own silly “rhythm” poems with similar patterns to those of the picture books read
• A few samples of (public domain) poetry — nursery rhymes and limericks — for possible teacher use
• A template for creating “Our names have ______ syllables” charts for the classroom or homeschool setting.
• This would work in a classroom or a homeschool setting, providing at least of week of class or individual activities and worksheets to reinforce rhythm and syllables!

Correlates to Common Core State Standards k.rf.1 (in general) and k.rf.2b (“count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables”). Although intended for kindergartners, it may be adapted to meet the needs of first graders or older children.