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Here's something for teachers:

A DOZEN WAYS TO AFFIRM POETRY IN YOUR CLASSROOM AND SCHOOL

1. Celebrate World Poetry Day: October 15
2. Have a Poetry-Dress-Up Day. Teacher and students arrive dressed up as their favorite poet or poem.
3. Decorate your cafeteria/lunch area with poems about food/mealtime.
4. Give the children a "Homework Holiday" if they promise to read a poem before bed.
5. Play lullabies for the chidlren. Have them put their heads down on their desks and "sleep".When the music is finished, have each child write the lyrics to a lullaby of his/her own.
6. Set up a "poet-tree" at the school or classroom entrance. Hang poems written on leaf-shaped papers.
7. Begin each day with a poem.
8.For holidays--make copies of seasonal poems for your class. Roll them up scroll-like and tie with ribbon (orange for Thanksgiving...red for Valentine's Day etc).
9.Plan a Poetry Treasure Hunt. Make a list of directions such as: Find a poem about a bathtub...find a line of poetry with the word blue in it...Pair off the children and let them search in the library,classroom or on their own time.
10. Put on a poetry reading for the parents,relatives and friends of the students. Serve punch and cookies.
11.Showcase a "Poet of the Month" in your classroom or school hall.
12. Collect your students poems into a "book"...donate the book to the school library, a local nursing home etc.

FOR WRITERS WHO WANT TO WRITE FOR CHILDREN

My best tip is this: Stay close to your own inner child.

1. Write about a favorite piece of clothing from childhood...shoes, dress, sweater, pajamas, bathing suit etc.
2. List five things that scared you as a child.
3. Who was your favorite relative as a child? Tell why.
4. What was your bedtime routine?
5. Tell about a time you were in trouble as a child.
6. Did you ever get lost? What happened?
7. Name three things that worried you as a child.

8. Who teased you?
9. Did you believe in angels? Ghosts? People from outer space? How did you picture them?
10. What were you curious about?
11. What did you collect?
12. Who comforted you?
13. Tell about a time you cried.
14. Tell a rainy day memory.
15. Tell about a time you were sick.
16. What was your favorite story?
17. Did you have chores? What were they?
18. List five things that made you laugh.