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Silent Support

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Lynette Pankey

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Mindful Reading Plan

Students will perform a close reading of a short poem to identify imagery, mood, and poetic devices while practicing guided breathing exercises to maintain focus and emotional regulation.

Combining mindfulness with ELA supports students’ emotional regulation, improves concentration, and deepens literary analysis skills in a low-stress environment.

Audience

6th Grade

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Guided breathing paired with stanza-by-stanza analysis

Materials

Poetry & Pause Slides, Guided Breathing Script, Reflect & Write Exit Ticket, Projector or Smartboard, Pens/Pencils, Notebooks, and Timer (optional)

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

  • Review the Poetry & Pause Slides and note stanza breaks
  • Familiarize yourself with the Guided Breathing Script
  • Print a copy of the Reflect & Write Exit Ticket for each student
  • Set up classroom technology (projector/smartboard, audio) as needed

Step 1

Mindful Breathing Warm-Up

5 minutes

  • Invite students to sit comfortably and close their eyes (if they feel safe)
  • Lead them through the Guided Breathing Script to inhale for 4 counts, hold for 2, exhale for 6
  • Emphasize focusing on the breath and letting go of distractions

Step 2

Poem Introduction

5 minutes

  • Display the first slide of the Poetry & Pause Slides
  • Read the poem aloud once while students follow along silently
  • Ask students to notice any initial images or words that stand out

Step 3

Guided Close Reading with Breath Pauses

20 minutes

  • Divide the poem into 3–4 stanzas on successive slides of the Poetry & Pause Slides
  • For each stanza:
    • Ask students to silently annotate for imagery, tone, and unfamiliar words
    • Invite a few volunteers to share one observation
    • Lead a 1-minute breathing pause using the Guided Breathing Script
  • Repeat until all stanzas are analyzed

Step 4

Group Discussion

10 minutes

  • Facilitate whole-class sharing of key findings (imagery, mood shifts, poetic devices)
  • Highlight how mindfulness pauses helped maintain focus or change perspective
  • Encourage students to connect emotional responses to their literary analysis

Step 5

Reflect & Write Exit Ticket

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Reflect & Write Exit Ticket
  • Prompt students to write: 1) One new insight about the poem, 2) How the breathing breaks affected their focus
  • Collect exit tickets as students finish
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Slide Deck

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Introduce the poem: Display and read aloud the full text of “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost. Ask students to notice any initial images, words, or feelings that stand out.

Stanza 1 (Lines 1–2)

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.

Ask students to silently annotate lines 1–2 for imagery, tone, and unfamiliar words. Invite 2–3 volunteers to share observations. Then lead a one-minute breathing pause using the Guided Breathing Script.

Stanza 2 (Lines 3–4)

From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.

Ask students to silently annotate lines 3–4 for imagery, tone, and unfamiliar words. Invite volunteers to share observations. Then lead a one-minute breathing pause using the Guided Breathing Script.

Stanza 3 (Lines 5–6)

But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate

Ask students to silently annotate lines 5–6 for imagery, tone, and unfamiliar words. Invite volunteers to share observations. Then lead a one-minute breathing pause using the Guided Breathing Script.

Stanza 4 (Lines 7–9)

To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Ask students to silently annotate lines 7–9 for imagery, tone, and unfamiliar words. Invite volunteers to share observations. Then lead a one-minute breathing pause using the Guided Breathing Script.

Group Discussion

• Key imagery and mood shifts
• Reflections on focus and perspective
• Connections between feelings and poetic language

Facilitate a whole-class discussion. Use these prompts: What key imagery or mood shifts did you notice? How did the breathing pauses affect your focus or perspective? Encourage connections between emotional responses and literary analysis.

Reflect & Write Exit Ticket

  1. What is one new insight you gained about the poem?
  2. How did the breathing breaks affect your focus?

Distribute the Reflect & Write Exit Ticket. Instruct students to respond to:

  1. One new insight about the poem.
  2. How the breathing breaks affected their focus.
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Activity

Guided Breathing Break

(Duration: Approximately 1 minute per pause)

Purpose:
• Give students a moment to reset their focus between close-reading stanzas
• Support emotional regulation and sustained attention

Teacher Script

  1. Set the tone (5 seconds)
    • “Let’s pause and bring our attention back to our breath.”

  2. Inhale (4 counts)
    • “Breathe in gently through your nose… 1… 2… 3… 4…”

  3. Hold (2 counts)
    • “Hold your breath… 1… 2…”

  4. Exhale (6 counts)
    • “Slowly breathe out through your mouth… 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6…”

  5. Repeat once
    • “Again: Inhale 1-2-3-4, hold 1-2, exhale 1-2-3-4-5-6.”

  6. Close the pause (5 seconds)
    • “Great job. Notice how you feel—then open your eyes and return to analyzing the poem.”

Student Instructions

• Keep your eyes closed or softened on the page.
• Follow along with the counts.
• Notice any shift in focus or calmness afterward.

Insert this pause after each stanza during the Guided Close Reading step.

Materials linked: Poetry & Pause Slides | Reflect & Write Exit Ticket

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Cool Down

Reflect & Write Exit Ticket

  1. What is one new insight you gained about the poem?



  2. How did the breathing breaks affect your focus and mood during the reading?



  3. Describe one way you could use mindful breathing in another learning activity or subject.






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