Nursery Rhyme

Students often do not know where to begin when writing. I show them this piece, written over 20 years ago, that began with a nursery rhyme. Then, encourage students to begin with a song or phrase from somewhere else as their jumping off point for whatever comment they're focusing upon that day.

Nursery Rhyme

Sing a song of no pence.
Pocket full of lint.
Nine-to-five on weekdays.
Glasses? Rosey tint.

When the lenses were broken,
the weens began to cry,
feeling they were born to
Earth,
only to slowly die.

(Written by Melissa A. Bentley 1986)