Words to Remember: Poetry Books for Kids

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“A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.”
Robert Frost

     Often the first words read to a young child come in the form of a nursery rhyme, poem or some sort of verse. Young children are instinctively drawn to rhymes and the rhythmic pattern of language found in poetry. Reading poetry to your little one also has the added benefit of aiding in the development of literacy skills. With April being National Poetry Month, now is the perfect time to share your favorite poems with your child or find some new favorites together.

     As a child, I’m sure that you heard many different nursery rhymes but now as an adult, your brain has made room for more important things, like trying to remember the last time you got eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Never fear! To the rescue is the book Humpty Who? A Crash Course in 80 Nursery Rhymes for Clueless Moms and Dads by Jennifer Griffin. Each nursery rhyme comes with a bit of background information and the book comes equipped with a 35-song sing-along CD. The Australian author and educationalist Mem Fox, who specializes in literacy stated in her book Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever, that “experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re eight.” This does not mean you need to drill poems into your child each day but as you continually repeat nursery rhymes, poems and verses with your child, they will learn them by heart or commit them to memory and be able to recall them with ease. Most children enjoy learning and reciting poems by heart. By memorizing a poem, they are learning vocabulary, as well as spelling and grammar; all important reading skills.

     Though reading skills are important, remember to look for poems that speak to you and your child. Poetry can speak to a person in ways that a story might not so don’t look for poems to instruct but for poems to enhance your life, be they humorous, thought-provoking or comforting. You can learn more about the benefits of reading and writing poetry in our previous blog, From Words to Poetry, and browse our list of Nursery Rhymes & Poetry books for additional recommendations.

Happy Poetry Month!

-Kate @ BTBL

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Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 5) for Kate, and two sons (now 3 and 1) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.