There’s nothing as rewarding as students exploring new ways of using the English language and pieceing its words together like a puzzle.
Now…
With poetry, they get to do that, learn vocabulary, and have so much fun singing its melodies.
It’s national poetry month, so you’ll want first-grade poems that are appropriate for young readers and accommodate all reading levels. Thankfully, we have just the poetry suggestions for it.
1. First Grade Rocks
First in our poems for first graders is “First Grade Rocks” by Lusine Gharibyan.
It’s super easy and short with a ton of repetition, making it perfect for memorization.
2. My Lunch
Kenn Nesbitt is our go-to poet when it comes to funny poems for 1st graders. When their mom sleeps in, our speaker finds an opening to have a candy bar, jelly donut, gummy worms, and all the sweets for lunch. In short, they’re living out the dream of so many children!
3. Play
They’ll learn many verbs that relate to movement, such as rolling, bouncing, and tripping. You can even make it a game by asking them to act out the poem as you read it!
4. Opposite Day
Another Kenn Nesbitt poem is “Opposite Day.
Such a bizarre yet exciting concept will have them bursting out laughing!
5. Now We Are Six
If you’re looking for a sweet and short poem for all reading levels, you’ll love “Now We Are Six” by A. A. Milne. In it, a six-year-old child reflects on their first six years.
6. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
We can’t talk about poetry for 1st graders without mentioning “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” by Jane Taylor. Who doesn’t have fond memories of it?!
7. Happy Thought
It’s also uplifting, sweet, and an excellent pick for our 1st-grade poems.
8. Colors
We love how it engages most of the senses. Also, the worksheet that comes with it is a bonus.
9. Scarecrow
Kids love anything fantastical, which is why your students will love “Scarecrow” by Lauren Shirk. In it, the speaker plays with a scarecrow. And they have so much fun together, unaware of the surprise that awaits them!
10. Deep Sea Dance
“Deep Sea Dance” is one of our Kenn Nesbitt 1st grade poems. If you want to teach them all about the ocean floor and its creatures, this poem is full of words in that lexical field!
11. The Purple Cow
It gets students exploring new ideas, a purple cow, to be exact, and keeps things interesting in the classroom.
12. Jelly Beans
Another fun poem for 1st graders is Valerie Danoff’s “Jelly Beans.” Read this poem about jelly or “belly beans” to your children if you want them to brush up on their colors!
13. Mother Doesn’t Want A Dog
“Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog” by Judith Viorst is longer than some of the poetry on this list, but it’s pretty easy to understand. We chose this for first-grade poems because so many children might relate to it. Like the speaker, they might want a dog or any pet, but their parents won’t let them get one.
14. The First Day Of School
Nothing says 1st grade poetry like “The First Day of School” by Judith Viorst. The poem revolves around first-day anxieties and what could go wrong when kids walk into the classroom for the first time.
15. Buzz, Buzz Bumblebee
We love “Buzz, Buzz Bumblebee” by Ruth Donnelly as a pick for 1st-grade poems. That’s because it uses onomatopoeia, which makes it fun and accessible to all reading levels. Also, you can hand out the attached exercises to engage your first-grade students.
16. Goodbye, Winter
Becky Spence’s “Goodbye, Winter” is one of our seasonal poems for first graders to analyze. Now that winter is over, teachers can embrace the warmer seasons with some spring poems.
17. Rain
If you’re looking for more seasonal 1st-grade poems, “Rain” by Robert Louis Stevenson is a good option. It’s short and sweet, so you can certainly get your students to recite and memorize it.
18. The Land Of Counterpane
Do you want more poetry suggestions by Robert Louis Stevenson? “The Land of Counterpane” is a beautiful poem to read in the classroom. It’s about being bedridden, but we like how its discussion of illness is hopeful.
19. There Was An Old Man With A Beard
These poems are typically great options for early grades. The poem features a man with a ridiculously huge beard. It’s so big that birds have nested in it! This exaggeration is excellent for kids if you want your classroom to erupt with laughter.
20. There Was An Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe
“There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” is a classic by Mother Goose. The poem approaches poverty in a very subtle way, which makes it suitable for kids.
21. The Little Plant
Kate Brown brings us “The Little Plant,” an uplifting poem that describes how little plants grow out of seeds. Of course, there’s a meaningful parallel between plants and children entering the world.
22. Thoughts And Flowers
Annette Wynne’s “Thoughts and Flowers” is a hopeful poem with a good message. It likens thoughts to flowers in the way they grow. So, teachers can use this poem’s metaphors to help kids manage their intrusive thoughts.
23. Love Sick
If you’ve enjoyed Kenn Nesbitt’s writing, we’re here with more poetry suggestions! In “Love Sick,” the speaker describes his sickness and symptoms only to reveal at the end that it was the symptoms of love all along.
24. To My Mother
“To My Mother” by Robert Louis Stevenson is a four-line poem. Its words aren’t difficult, but you might have to discuss the poem’s ideas with your kids.
25. Bed In Summer
It discusses the frustration kids feel at having to go to bed on a summer day when all they want is to play.
Jump In: Your 1st graders will never run out of interest in reading if you introduce them to books tailored for kids! Poems are interesting but having other reading materials will increase their enthusiasm more. See my post for a list of best elementary books here — 61 Best 1st Grade Books For Elementary (Easy To Read).
Conclusion
Overall, we hope this collection of 1st-grade poems helps all the teachers out there. With everything from Robert Louis Stevenson to Jane Taylor, you’ll find great options, including funny, profound, and informative poems of various lengths.
Which ones in this list do you want best? We’d be glad to know, so don’t forget to tell us about it in the comments section below!
Last Updated on July 25, 2022 by Emily
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