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Poetry is one of the first interactions with literature that young children have. Nursery rhymes and silly songs give children the foundation for reading by helping them understand the relationship of sounds and letters through rhymes. As children get older, poetry helps them understand how to express complex thoughts, feelings, and ideas through words.
Poetry can be introduced to children as early as infancy. Simple rhymes recited in a singsong manner are great for small children. Babies enjoy these fun songs and, by the toddler years, she will begin to sing along. During the toddler and preschool years, introduce your child to a variety of poetry that rhymes. Recite and memorize classic Mother Goose poems, like “The Cat and the Fiddle” or “Little Boy Blue,” and read rhyming books, like those by Dr. Seuss.
Provide your child with a selection of poetry books designed for children as well as their other books. Guidecraft's creative selection of bookshelves make a great place to store your child's books and poems. Continue to change the poetry selections with the other books as your child gets older. Encourage her to read poems about things that interest her, like poems about horses or poetry about nature.
Encourage your preschooler to create her own poems. Help her by providing sentence prompts for silly limericks, like “There once was a ______, who lived in a _____.” Help her complete the blanks with funny words that rhyme and read the poem together. Make up simple rhymes together about various events as well.
Kindergartners and first graders can enjoy more complex poetry. It is still a good idea to expose children to plenty of poetry that rhymes as they are learning to read, but they can also learn that not all poetry needs to rhyme. Read poetic books together, like those by Shel Silverstein, and work on memorizing a few favorite poems of various styles and lengths.
Begin to introduce your kindergartner or first grader to a few simple forms of poetry and encourage him to write his own. Cinquains are a great form to begin with. A simple cinquain consists of five lines with the number of syllables increasing in each line, then returning to the beginning form. To compose a cinquain, your child should choose one two syllable word for the poem's title. The next line will be two words or four syllables that elaborates on the name of the poem. The third line will express an action that related to the title, and will consist of three words or six syllables. For the fourth line, your child should express a feeling about the title using four words or eight syllables. He final line of the cinquain is similar to the first line with only one word or two syllables relating to the title.
As your child gets older, continue to broaden his knowledge of poetry. Introduce new poets, especially those noted for their work, and explore different techniques poets have used through time. Examine and compose a variety of poetic forms with your child, including haikus, acrostics, and concrete poetry that is written in a form to resemble the poem's topic. Encourage your child to create their own free verse poems as well as structured forms of poetry throughout their childhood.