An “I Am” poem is a type of personal poem in which the author describes themselves through a series of prompts. Writing and sharing these are a wonderful way for the author to express themselves and feel known, and for readers or listeners to gain insights about their loved ones. Writing these may also help develop self-awareness, a core competency for social-emotional development.

Families can us these worksheets to create their own “I Am” Poems. Write and read these together as a group activity, or write them on their own and share if and when each person is ready. Younger children may relate to this activity better when they are asked questions and given the opportunity to depict their responses by drawing or coloring. Use the worksheet attached to help create your own “I Am” Poems.

These poems may also be used in other ways to foster perspective-taking, empathy, and social awareness. Authors can create “I Am” Poems by imagining how another person would respond to the prompts to build these skills. For instance, the writer could imagine how a character in a book or the subject of a painting might feel, and write the poem accordingly.

I Am Poem

I am ____________                                                                                                               

I wonder____________                                                                                                                

I hear ____________                                                                                                                    

I see  ____________                                                                                                                     

I want  ____________                                                                                                                   

I am  ____________                                                                                                                     

I pretend   ____________                                                                                                             

I feel  ____________                                                                                                                     

I touch   ____________                                                                                                                 

I worry  ____________                                                                                                                  

I cry  ____________                                                                                                                      

I am ____________                                                                                                                      

I understand  ____________                                                                                                        

I say ____________                                                                                                                      

I dream  ____________                                                                                                                

I try ____________                                                                                                                        

I hope  ____________                                                                                                                  

I am  ____________         

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