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Rafe Esquith: Five Tips to Help Children Develop Their Natural Gifts

#2803. Valentine Rebus Poem - homonyms

Reading/Writing, level: all
Posted Mon Feb 3 08:01:30 PST 2003 by Kerry ().
BC Canada
Concepts Taught: homonyms

I have xeroxed this poem on a large piece of paper (11 X 17) inside a hear shape. I usually do the poem in the pocket chart one day and then we move to each child making his/her own copy as a valentine to give to mom and dad on another day. It takes a while for them to be able to understand the joke of the poem. They have to read and re-read it. The more they read it, the more they like it and the funnier they think it is, of course!!!

This is a rebus poem because some of the words are left out and instead a picture or object is used in place of a word.

I ___(sent)____ this valentine to say, (Attach a penny)

I ____(pick)__ you for my own, (a toothpick)

And tell you what a ___(match)_____ we'll make (a wooden match)

If you'll _____(be)______ mine alone. ( a bee sticker)

I ___(stamp)____ your name upon my ____(heart)___, (a postage stamp, a heart sticker)
I'll ___(string)____ along with you, ( a piece of
string all curled up)

No one will ever ___(foil)____ our love, (a piece of tin foil)

Because _____(I)____ love you true!!! (a magazine picture of an
eye)

In the days following the making of this valentine I often introduce the term, "homonym" and go over other homonyms such as to/two/too or ate/eight in a more formal way than we have done up to this point in the year. This poem really helps them develop the concept of homonym in a meaningful way.

Have fun with this!

Kerry in B.C. Canada