Photo by Angie Quantrell
Pacific Northwest
Photo by Angie Quantrell, Pacific Northwest
encyclopedia
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can
aid
and lead
idea
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need
One of my favorite “substitute teacher” activities I loved to do with older students was a word game that ties right into this poetry form. I only realized this after I had difficulty coming up with a poem, and then went back to my old sub/word play game to give me a list of words from which to work.
The word play game consisted of me writing a very long word on the (back then) chalk board. Usually “supercalifragilisticexpealidocious.” I would then set a timer and instruct students to play with the word and come up with a list of words they could make using only the letters of the word on the board. True, this is a giant word, so the possibilities were nearly endless. But that made it easier for the students. If only I had gone on to use our word lists to make up fun poems!
I discovered this fun method in a poetry book I picked up at the library. It just looked enjoyable. And it is. Check out or purchase this book and play with some words yourself.
Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word
written by Bob Raczka
illustrated by Nancy Doniger
Roaring Brook Press, 2011
Can you tell I am ready for flowers, green, and hiking in the mountains? This will come, after the snow melts, the fog dissipates, the mud dries, and the earth springs forth with life.
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Cascade Mountains, Washington
Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends.
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Chambers Bay, Washington
before, snow blankets
snowfall melts under sun’s smile
after, window holes
before, after by Angie Quantrell
photos by Angie Quantrell, Yakima Valley
Photo by Angie Quantrell, Yakima Valley
Photo by Angie Quantrell, Yakima Valley
Text from Hebrews
Sometimes I Am Afraid
Written by Robin McCall and Joye Smith
Illustrated by Bill and Robin McCall
Woman’s Missionary Union, 2014
I was delighted to receive a copy of Sometimes I Am Afraid. Thank you, Joye Smith, Robin McCall, and Woman’s Missionary Union!
If ever there was a perfect time for reading Sometimes I Am Afraid, our current times are it! Though preschoolers may not be aware of the world situation or the political stresses of the world and nation, they can certainly feel the anxiety and fears of the adults and older family members around them. Preschoolers do know about the pandemic and they know life has changed, activities are limited, and if they go out, masks are required. Sometimes I Am Afraid is just what we need to share with the preschoolers in our lives. Truth be told, I also need to read it to myself, since adults are not exempt from fear.
Using examples of universal childhood fears, this story is told in an easy to read manner accompanied by colorful, soothing illustrations. A child encounters something scary (dog, doctor, storm), and then remembers how to deal with the fear-inducing incident, both with a suggestion of how to think about the scary event and how to recall what the Bible says and how God will care for us in scary times. Each situation is reinforced with an appropriate Bible thought. The overall feel of Sometimes I Am Afraid is one of encouragement, combined with gentle reminders to pray and trust God to be right beside us no matter what is happening.
If your child struggles with fearful situations, this lovely picture book is just what the doctor ordered!
Read more about Sometimes I Am Afraid at https://www.wmustore.com/sometimes-i-am-afraid.
a heart, a country
seems indestructible, yet
words wound deeply: heal
broken by Angie Quantrell
photo by Angie Quantrell, Yakima Valley
Love, Laughter, and Life 