Tips for Descriptive Writing

 5 Ways Haikus Help Students Use Descriptive Language

1. Focuses on a single moment

   Haikus focus on one single moment in time.  This is very different from most of the stories your students write.  Even though we try to peel back the layers and focus the story on more specific moments, it’s hard in a longer piece of writing.  
   I start students off by writing about nature, where haiku poetry originated.  We write about trees of a specific season and by the end of the school year they have a haiku about each season.
   For our fall tree poem, we sit outside and students make notes about what they see in nature.  They can focus on just those couple of minutes of seeing leaves rustle and fall, the wind blowing, how different trees look different, how the trees stand, and more.
   They take their observations to turn into their poem.

2. Syllable limitations make every word count

   Haikus have a syllable limitation of 5-7-5.  This means that to tell the whole story of their observation time outside they need to use very few, but very specific words.
   Every word of their poems counts toward painting a picture for the reader.  It’s hard to write something so short that brings their vision to life.
   Time and time again I have seen students do this successfully.  Beautifully written poems are produced from these restrictions.

3. Forces students to expand their vocabulary choices

   Students have to think about each word in a haiku so much more.  Is it saying what they want, in the syllables they have available?
   I encourage students to look up synonyms to find a word that works.  They are not looking up tons of words for a long piece of writing, but just a few words that will help them complete their haiku poem.
   It may not seem like a lot, but they are learning the process of looking up better vocabulary to improve their haiku. Sometimes I let them use technology, and sometimes I make them use a dictionary or thesaurus.  
   They also learn this process is not difficult.  I like to help them learn this skill in a way that’s not intimidating.  It’s a skill that can transfer to longer pieces of writing once they see the benefits of it.

4. Practice the writing process in a short assignment

   When I teach poetry I always use the writing process.  And I love to teach the writing process in this way.
   When we teach the writing process in a long assignment the steps get lost.  It’s so long from one step to the next that students don’t see the pattern. We specifically point it out to them, but they still don’t notice the steps are the same, remember the steps, or initiate them on their own.
   Poems, especially haikus, are short writing assignments, which makes it easier for students to see the steps in order. They can see each step successfully completed.  
   As they go through many poetry assignments during the year they get better and better at the writing process. 

5. Students feel successful in writing

   I find that one of the struggles students have in writing is that they don’t feel successful.  There are so many errors they lose points for that lower their grades and their confidence. I hate that part of teaching writing
   I have seen students who hate writing find so much success and confidence in poetry.  It’s a wonderful form of writing that really boosts my students’ confidence in their writing ability.