POETRY LESSON
I Had a Great Day

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I Had a Great Day
Text Type: Poetry • Word Count: 140

Poem Summary
It seems like the narrator of this humorous poem is having anything but a great day. He wakes up late, misses the bus, forgets his lunch money, and fails a test. But when the new kid sits down and asks the narrator if he'd like to play, the whole day takes a turn for the better. Approximate book level: O.

Build Background
Ask students if they have ever had a bad day. What happened? Was it a bunch of little things that made it a bad day, or was it something big? Reassure students that everyone has bad days, and that they pass.

Discuss poetry's rhymes and rhythms. Read the title and ask students to come up with a word that rhymes with day. Use other familiar poems as references. Also explain that poetry's syllables follow a rhythm or "beat."

Preview the Poem
Show students the cover of the book and read the title. Open the book to the title page. Ask students to predict what is happening in the book based on the illustrations. Tell students that this book is poetry, which means it has rhyming lines.

During the Reading
Allow students to stop and ask questions during reading, especially if there is something they do not understand. Emphasize the rhyming words and the rhythm of the lines. Have students clap along to the rhythm of the poem. Occasionally leave off the last word of a rhyming line and challenge students to guess the word based on the context and the rhyme.

If reading aloud, be sure to read with expression. Use think-aloud strategies and react to parts of the book with facial expressions and gestures.

After the Reading
Reader Response
Ask students what they thought of the poem. Have volunteers summarize the poem or name their favorite part.

Comprehension
Ask specific questions that allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the poem.

• What was the first thing that went wrong?
  
• What happened at lunch?
  
• What kind of day did the boy have after all?