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    • phonological awareness
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    • rhyming
    • sight words
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    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
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how to write limericks for loved ones

home / Activities / holidays / how to write limericks for loved ones
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Who knew that National Limerick Day was May 12?

how to write limericks for loved ones

It’s true.  National Limerick Day is celebrated on May 12 to honor Edward Lear, the creator of limericks.

May 12 was Lear’s birthday.  Who knew?

And while I’m at it, who knew that limericks could be a really fun way to show loved ones you care–in a totally fun, completely silly way, of course!?

It’s been a long, long week here with two of us flat out with the worst colds we’ve had in ages, but Owen and I put aside our tissues and cough drops one afternoon long enough to really get silly with limericks.

We did a bit o’ rhyming, playing with syllables and sounds, and laughing.  We blinged them out and made them fancy with our Melissa & Doug stamps. Then we popped them in the mail.

And we realized that limericks certainly deserve a wee bit more air time, and they can put a fun spin on showing friends and family you care.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Cora, Owen, and I wrote some limericks for loved ones that will be put in the mail (hopefully!) in time for the big day.

Here’s the skinny . . .

Limericks for Loved Ones:

Limericks are five-line poems that follow a specific rhyme pattern and syllable pattern.

Sounds complicated but they’re not.

Because our only trips out this week were to the doctor, our mailed Mother’s Day gifts to out-of-towners, had to be quick and creative. Though we made the beautiful Butterfly Pens, we planned to gift them when we saw them in person. Plus butterfly pens may be tough to send.

So we played with limericks, catered to our loved ones for Mother’s Day.

limericks for loved ones -

Once you pick up the rhythm and sound of the limerick, they’re rather easy to write.

For example:

There once was a lady called โ€˜Momโ€™,

who you could say was quite the bomb.

She gave us all hugs,

and swept up the rugs.

She kept the house nice and calm.

The rhyme pattern is AABBA, with the syllables for each line being 8-8-5-5-8.

Yes. I know. Mom, bomb, rhyme fine, but calm is a stretch–the classic ‘slant’ rhyme. I get it. I came up with it on the fly, okay?

In order to download the limerick sheet, throw your name in the inbox below!

I came up with a quickie sheet because I knew that Owen worked better when he could see words on the page and hear them as they’re spoken. And I knew that limericks were pretty interesting mix of reading and math, so I was pretty sure my boy would dig ’em.

Which he did.

limericks for loved ones

First, I read the examples of the limericks on the page and asked if Cora and Owen could hear any patterns or make out the ‘secret sauce’ of limericks.

I reminded them to listen to the sounds, the rhythm, and the words.

They were pretty on target but it helped for them to see the limericks on the page to see the red and blue words, the words that rhymed, and to see the lines on the page.

We talked about syllables–the beats, or rhythm in a word or phrase–and we talked about rhyme patterns: ABA, ABBA, ABAB, etc.

limericks for loved ones

the brainstorm cloud for Nana

And then?

We brainstormed.

Brainstorming is a hugely important step in all writing, but it’s the step that is often sadly forgotten.

We first decided who our limerick would be about–my mom, their Nanny–and we wrote down everything we could think of about Nanny.

Owen decided our first line would be, There once was a lady named Gayle, so we wrote down all of the words we knew that rhymed with ‘Gayle’.

limericks for loved ones

We talked through the limerick, line by line, cooperatively writing the whole thing.

I wanted to do this first one together so that Owen and Cora would be able to try the next on their own, but as it turned out, we wrote all of them together. Fine by me.

The syllable piece along with the rhyme is pretty tough for little ones.

limericks for loved ones

Cora copies the final draft of the limerick. . .

limericks for loved ones

. . . cuts it out. . .

limericks for loved ones

 . . . and mounts it on cardstock.

From there, we were ready to do some serious limerick blinging.

Using our trusty Melissa & Doug stamps, Owen and Cora stamped their little hearts out, beautifying the area around the limericks.  They used our Animal Stamp Set to add some little friends, the Friendship Stamp Set to add some flowers and hearts, and the Alphabet Stamp Set and to personalize their piece.

limericks for loved ones

limericks for loved ones

limericks for loved ones

When they were finished, we popped the special limericks into a few manilla folders and mailed them off to our loved ones.

Here’s to hoping that these silly poems put a smile on the faces of the women we love so much–and will sure miss seeing!–this weekend on Mother’s Day.

Turns out limerick-writing was a fun and unusual way of sending a few happy hugs through the mail.

And along the way, Owen and Cora were doing some serious work because limericks really do push your listening and creative-thinking skills.  They did a great job with them.

Happy National Limerick Day!

Cheers, and happy reading during this incredibly exciting journey!

LIMERICKS FOR LOVED ONES COVER

limericks for loved ones cover

A few more literacy-related posts worth reading. . . (click on image to read!)

what to say when kids make reading mistakes  teachmama.com.png
5 things to never say to emerging reader
literacy terms every parent must know
talk to kids about books
how to help kids choose just right books
Want a little more help with all things literacy?  
Follow amy mascott @teachmama’s board literacy on Pinterest.

fyi: Some of the links in the post above are โ€œaffiliate links.โ€ This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Forever and always I recommend only products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissionโ€™s 16 CFR, Part 255: โ€œGuides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.โ€  For more information, please see teachmama media, llc. disclosure policy. 

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About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro ยท http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

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Oh HEEEEEYYY, @luvvie โ€” did you see that @littletroublemaker made our hallway bulletin board? ๐Ÿ˜‰โ™ฅ๏ธ

(Itโ€™s what Rusty the ๐ŸฆŠ is currently reading.) 

Find it at your favorite bookstore or order here: https://amzn.to/3Pu3tWs

(This is my affiliate link, so when you use it, I will earn a small percentage of the sale, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for using my link and supporting my small business!)

#readingteacher #raiseareader #kidlit #bestbooks #linkinbio
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How can people with dyslexia learn to read? ๐Ÿค”

Here are the 3๏ธโƒฃ elements that reading instruction should contain in order to be most effective for students with dyslexiaโ€”

#demystifyingdyslexia #raiseareader #readingteacher #teachreading #dyslexiaawareness
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Lately when I find four leaf clovers, Iโ€™ve been leaving them. ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿคท๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

So if youโ€™re in Maryland, and you happen upon a lonely, little 4-leafer with very little grass, weeds, or leaves around it, I donโ€™t know WHO tried to set you up for success.

#yougotthis #keepyoureyesopen #itsthelittlethings #kilpattyluck
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Okayโ€”how do we know if someone has dyslexia? 

Which professionas are able to make that important determination? 

โ–ถ๏ธ Watch to find out. 

Hit me with the questions you still have about dyslexiaโ€”and know we have a few more posts to go!

#demystifyingdyslexia #raiseareader #teachreading #readingteachersofig
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Watch to learn and find out!

#demystifyingdyslexia #readingteacher #raiseareader #teachreading #dyslexia
View
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True โœ… or false โŒ?

#demystifyingdyslexia #dyslexiaeducation #readingteacher #raiseareader #teachreading
View
Open
What do you know about dyslexia? 

What questions do you have about dyslexia? 

For the next few weeks leading up to my own start to the school year I am sharing a new series called โ€œDe-Mystifying Dyslexiaโ€ and I would love for you to join me! 

Follow in my stories or on the highlight above!

#dyslexia #teading  #readingteacher #raiseareader #demystifyingdyslexia
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Open
(Part 2) 

The series will be shared on IG stories, on tiktok, on the teachmama facebook page, and in the Take 5 newsletter. 

Look for the logo on social, and if you want to receive the whole thing via email, then sign up for Take5 on the link below. 

Iโ€™m really excited about this. Itโ€™s taken a long, long time to create, and the only thing I ask is that you, once viewing it all, could take 2 minutes to give me some feedback. There will be a google form on the last of the slides, at the end of the series. I thank you, I appreciate you, and I look forward to learning along with you.

Join the Take 5 list if you want this series to land in your inbox: 
https://take5.teachmama.com/

#raiseareader #demystifyingdyslexia #readingteacher teachersofIG dyslexia teachreading
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Hi and thank you for your interest in watching my โ€˜de-mystifying dyslexiaโ€™ series. 

My name is Amy Mascott, and Iโ€™m a reading specialist and former high school English teacher. Iโ€™m also the creator of teachmama.com  where since 2008, Iโ€™ve helped families make meaningful connections with their kids and build bridges between home and school. 

As an educator, Iโ€™m always trying to share important informationโ€”bc I really think that when we know better, we do better. This series is part of my final project for a course Iโ€™m taking through Advancement Courses called โ€˜understanding dyslexiaโ€™. 

And as a reading teacher, I need to know all I can about this condition. What I realized is that I had a lot to learnโ€”maybe you, as a parent or teacher yourself, can also stand to learn a little bit. 

Maybe, like me, youโ€™ve grown up thinking that dyslexia was a condition where people read letters backwardsโ€”b for d or p for g? Maybe you thought, like I did, that if a person was dyslexic, they saw all of the letters jumbled together on the page? Iโ€™m here to tell you that both of those things are untrue. 

So if you would like to learn a little about dyslexiaโ€”if you would like for me to โ€˜de-mystify dyslexiaโ€™ for you, then follow along! 

(Continued on next VIDEO)

#readingteacher #teachersofIG #demystifyingdyslexia

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Oh HEEEEEYYY, @luvvie โ€” did you see that @littletroublemaker made our hallway bulletin board? ๐Ÿ˜‰โ™ฅ๏ธ

(Itโ€™s what Rusty the ๐ŸฆŠ is currently reading.) 

Find it at your favorite bookstore or order here: https://amzn.to/3Pu3tWs

(This is my affiliate link, so when you use it, I will earn a small percentage of the sale, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for using my link and supporting my small business!)

#readingteacher #raiseareader #kidlit #bestbooks #linkinbio
View
Open
How can people with dyslexia learn to read? ๐Ÿค”

Here are the 3๏ธโƒฃ elements that reading instruction should contain in order to be most effective for students with dyslexiaโ€”

#demystifyingdyslexia #raiseareader #readingteacher #teachreading #dyslexiaawareness
View
Open
Lately when I find four leaf clovers, Iโ€™ve been leaving them. ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿคท๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

So if youโ€™re in Maryland, and you happen upon a lonely, little 4-leafer with very little grass, weeds, or leaves around it, I donโ€™t know WHO tried to set you up for success.

#yougotthis #keepyoureyesopen #itsthelittlethings #kilpattyluck
View
Open
Okayโ€”how do we know if someone has dyslexia? 

Which professionas are able to make that important determination? 

โ–ถ๏ธ Watch to find out. 

Hit me with the questions you still have about dyslexiaโ€”and know we have a few more posts to go!

#demystifyingdyslexia #raiseareader #teachreading #readingteachersofig
View
Open
What are some of the common signs of dyslexia?

Watch to learn and find out!

#demystifyingdyslexia #readingteacher #raiseareader #teachreading #dyslexia
View
Open
True โœ… or false โŒ?

#demystifyingdyslexia #dyslexiaeducation #readingteacher #raiseareader #teachreading
View
Open
What do you know about dyslexia? 

What questions do you have about dyslexia? 

For the next few weeks leading up to my own start to the school year I am sharing a new series called โ€œDe-Mystifying Dyslexiaโ€ and I would love for you to join me! 

Follow in my stories or on the highlight above!

#dyslexia #teading  #readingteacher #raiseareader #demystifyingdyslexia
View
Open
(Part 2) 

The series will be shared on IG stories, on tiktok, on the teachmama facebook page, and in the Take 5 newsletter. 

Look for the logo on social, and if you want to receive the whole thing via email, then sign up for Take5 on the link below. 

Iโ€™m really excited about this. Itโ€™s taken a long, long time to create, and the only thing I ask is that you, once viewing it all, could take 2 minutes to give me some feedback. There will be a google form on the last of the slides, at the end of the series. I thank you, I appreciate you, and I look forward to learning along with you.

Join the Take 5 list if you want this series to land in your inbox: 
https://take5.teachmama.com/

#raiseareader #demystifyingdyslexia #readingteacher teachersofIG dyslexia teachreading
View
Open
Hi and thank you for your interest in watching my โ€˜de-mystifying dyslexiaโ€™ series. 

My name is Amy Mascott, and Iโ€™m a reading specialist and former high school English teacher. Iโ€™m also the creator of teachmama.com  where since 2008, Iโ€™ve helped families make meaningful connections with their kids and build bridges between home and school. 

As an educator, Iโ€™m always trying to share important informationโ€”bc I really think that when we know better, we do better. This series is part of my final project for a course Iโ€™m taking through Advancement Courses called โ€˜understanding dyslexiaโ€™. 

And as a reading teacher, I need to know all I can about this condition. What I realized is that I had a lot to learnโ€”maybe you, as a parent or teacher yourself, can also stand to learn a little bit. 

Maybe, like me, youโ€™ve grown up thinking that dyslexia was a condition where people read letters backwardsโ€”b for d or p for g? Maybe you thought, like I did, that if a person was dyslexic, they saw all of the letters jumbled together on the page? Iโ€™m here to tell you that both of those things are untrue. 

So if you would like to learn a little about dyslexiaโ€”if you would like for me to โ€˜de-mystify dyslexiaโ€™ for you, then follow along! 

(Continued on next VIDEO)

#readingteacher #teachersofIG #demystifyingdyslexia

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