Once I Was...

Title: Once I Was...

Author: Niki Clark Leopold is both an author and an editor. She is most well known for her book K is for Kitten and Once I Was. Both books she wrote and was the editor for. She lives in Maryland were she works on her poetry and writing. 

Genre: Poetry 

Grades: K-3

Subject Area: ELA

Summary: This book expresses the changes a child makes as they grow up. The girl in this story realizes when she was little there were things she could not do but not that she has grown up she can do things. The author tells the story through a poem. It is a way child can understand the effects growing up has a you. This book is a fun way to learn about growing up. 

Pre Reading Activity: We will talk about rhyming words. As a class we will talk about what it means if two words rhyme. Then we will talk about words that rhyme with each other. We will talk about how cat, hat, bat, mat, and sat rhyme. Then I will have a worksheet for the class to do about rhyming words. (http://www.kidslearningstation.com/phonics/rhyming-worksheets.asp) 

Post Reading Activity: Now you are going to be writing your own Once I Was poem or depending on the age draw a picture of something that you could not do or were scarred to do. Draw a picture of something they do now. If the students are writing the poem they should try and get the words to rhyme. The poem should be six to ten line long depending on the age and ability of the students. The first line should read Once I was (then say what they were)... Then the second would say now I am (then say what they are)...