by Elaine Gallagher
Have you ever wished your students actually LIKED to write? Most kids don’t, not even in their native language. But a haiku is different. A student follows a simple formula, and voíla….they become a poet! Haikus help students to like to write, to be creative, to think artistically, to paint pictures with words, to develop vocabulary, to integrate with nature, and to feel good about themselves when they complete a haiku. . Various multiple and emotional intelligences wrapped in one package: a haiku.
Originally from Japan, Haikus have a simple format.
- Three lines
- Usually about nature
- No rhyme
- A syllable order: 5-7-5
- Five syllables in the first line
- Seven syllables in the second line
- Five syllables in the 3rd line
That’s it….a haiku. Sometimes I have students locate nature pictures on-line or in a magazine, get a copy, and write a haiku about the picture. Other times, I have students compose a haiku, then draw/paint a picture to accompany it.
I recently gave a writing course for teachers in Spain. Haikus were their favorite type of writing. Here are some haikus done by teachers at a conference in Segovia.
Morning sky clear blueA small white cloud passing byHigh mountains, the sunHear children’s laughterClear water from melted snowRainbows, water dropsSilver green olivesSummer, late afternoon lightColours, long shadowsSunset autumn skyOrange, turquoise blue, purplePaint the cotton clouds
Snow white, mountain topsUnder moonlight brightly shineThe owl cries, it’s cold
About 10 years ago, in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, I taught a writing course for teachers, to enhance their own writing. Some of those haikus are still in my computer. As a final example, a person who is now a Coordinator of UNO Coaches in the Veracruz area, Silvia Rodriguez, wrote her haiku for our class, accompanied by a picture she had selected.
Enjoy……and get your students involved! They will be successful and pleased with their own products!
