acrostic

Everyday

1. A poem or puzzle in which the first letters of each line, read downwards, spell a word, often the subject of the poem. tree →
2. A word puzzle built in the same way. tree →

In the lessons

In English and literacy lessons children write acrostic poems: they write a word like SPRING down the side and start each line with one of its letters. It shows how to plan writing and to choose words. In the Bible some Psalms are acrostics in Hebrew, each verse starting with the next letter of the alphabet. Phrases: «write an acrostic poem», «acrostic for your name».

Examples

• We wrote an acrostic poem using the letters of our names. tree →
• In my acrostic for CAT, the first line starts with C. tree →
• Read the first letters downwards to find the hidden word. tree →
• Psalm 119 is an acrostic in Hebrew. tree →
• Our class made acrostics for the word AUTUMN. tree →
• An acrostic doesn't have to rhyme. tree →

Note

Use «an»: an acrostic. Stress: a-CROS-tic. Each line usually starts with a capital letter so the hidden word stands out.