Alabama Competition 2010

How to Join Poetry Out Loud

Join the Thousands of teachers who have become inspired, had fun and surprising success "making poetry matter" for students.

Joining Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest is a great way to teach poetry and help students with written and oral communication skills. Poetry Out Loud was designed so that teachers may easily implement this "poetry bee" contest in the classroom. Poetry Out Loud awards more than $100,000 in prizes to students and schools at the state and national levels.

Teachers love the program because it

• fits well into their literature curriculum

• creates an entry point for students to appreciate poetry

• strengthens community in the classroom

• reaches students whom they’ve never thought would take to poetry and take to the stage

Poetry Out Loud satisfies most of the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) English Language Arts Standards. In addition to memorizing and performing great poems, students will have the opportunity to discuss poetry and—if the teacher wishes to use the supplemental lesson plans—to write poetry of their own.

Steps to Join Poetry Out Loud—the only national poetry contest for high school students:

Get Started. For an overview of the program, classroom tools, and model recitations visit