Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

These famous words written by acclaimed poet Robert Frost from “The Road Not Taken” are from a poem taught to virtually every child in school. There’s a reason we do this: teach poetry.  It’s because the written word can be an avenue for creative expression.  Words can move us and change us through books, stories, plays, and, of course, poems.

This month is National Poetry Month, originally created in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets.  Throughout the month of April, poets and poetry become the forefront of creative teaching, but just because the month is almost over doesn’t mean this form of art should no longer be taught.  We’re here to help make sure you can bring poetry to your students, wherever and whenever.  First, there is a wonderful resource, Poetry in America, whose, “mission is to bring poetry into living rooms and classrooms around the world.” This TV series, also a “mutli-platform initiative,” includes other resources and courses for teachers and students and is in partnership with PBS LearningMedia and WGBH.

PBS also has a series that aired back in 2011 titled Poetry Everywhere, where video footage of living poets reading their own work and the work of others, living and dead, can be found.

Poetry is an amazing way to convey thought through the written word, and I would encourage you to read more poetry, look up more poet,s and write something yourself.  A search of “poetry” at PBS LearningMedia offers the two resources here as well as hundreds of others for PreK-12 students.