Thursday, April 12, 2012

K is for KNICKKNACK

KNICKKNACK
Photo by Amy LV


Students - When I pointed (closed-eyed) to this word, I cheered inside.  Isn't it a treat in your mouth?  I thought about a few possible ideas for writing with this wondrous word but kept coming back to simply loving words and wanting to list my favorites.  I always make lists of fabulous words in the back of each notebook, and for today, I wanted to play with the -ack and -ock sound.

Do you know what I want to do now?  I want to read this poem in a round with someone else, the second person coming in after the first four lines.  I wonder if that would be tricky.

Teachers - Below you will see a small gift that I often share.  I've had it so long that I cannot remember where I found it, but what a perfect celebration of words!  I hope it will inspire you to keep a list of words you love and to continue to find ways to nurture such wordlove in students.  A class journal of magnificent words, a bulletin board of words, a pause after read aloud for a favorite word...please let me know what you do to cherish these little collections of letters!  (If you know where this came from, please tell me so that I can give credit to the proper source.)


In case you are new here, this month I am walking, letter-by-letter, through the dictionary, (closed-eyed) pointing to a letter each day, and writing from it. You can read poems A-J` by checking the sidebar, and you visit Lisa Vihos and read her accompanying daily haiku at, Lisa's Poem of the Week.  She and I are Dictionary Hike partners!

Tomorrow for Poetry Friday, please come back to hear wisdom from and sing birthday wishes to Lee Bennett Hopkins!  To celebrate, tomorrow you may enter a drawing for a giveaway of his latest anthology, NASTY BUGS!

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12 comments:

  1. Amy, it's late, but still reading. I can imagine how excited you must have been when seeing your word. What fun it is, & how much you did with it. I'm meeting with a teacher tomorrow who wants to talk poetry & I will share this with him. It will be an inspiration to his students!

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  2. Oh, I love that word, and the list you compiled to go with it. I've read it aloud several times already, and the sounds are a perfect tick-tock.

    If you have Skype, I could record us reading it in a round, side by side, and send you the video - fun! I'm at renee.latulippe

    (And come to think of it, I have been playing with some poems for two voices...hmmm, methinks an idea is brewing...)

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  3. My students are going to love this poem! I've been sharing your website with some colleagues and using your ideas with my young writers. I can't wait to show them this poem this morning. I have 2 girls who are always looking for poetry to read in a round. This will be perfect for them.

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  4. A delicious word treat, Amy! I love that you used bric a brac..it was the first thing I thought of when you posted your link on FB! I too have even writing for two voices lately...i want in on your collaboration with Renee!

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  5. Good morning Amy! Happy to be back on the hike. When I saw "knickknack," I thought of a rhyme I used to say when I was little, and so for today's haiku, here is what I've got:

    Poet Dog

    Knickknack patty whack!
    Give a dog a poem to chew.
    He barks in haiku.

    Not a typical haiku word...but, I tried!

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  6. Such a great list poem! As for the 10 Beautiful Words, I vote for "silver." (It can replace "tranquil," which clanks in the middle.)

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  7. Nice post Amy. I'm going to write a children's poem using those 10 words mentioned here. Nice challenge.

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  8. I love rounds! Is there a way to try this out?

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  9. That was so much fun! I was going to say, I would love to hear the audio file with two voices reading it--but it sounds like Renee has made an even better offer. ;)

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  10. Amy,
    The words in this poem are fun to read. I can't wait to share this poem with my students. There is something to be said for a love of words. I just came from Renee LaTulippe's blog where Deborah Diesen is talking about words. Funny how conversations weave a common thread across the virtual world.

    Cathy

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  11. Nice, Amy. Your poem reminds me of "Click Beetle" by Mary Ann Hoberman. I love the rhymes in your poem and the way it flows when you read it

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  12. Love the words and would love to see a video!!! Go Renee and Amy!

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