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April is National Poetry Month but how do you celebrate? Feel intimidated by poetry? Are your children uninterested in reading or hearing poetry?
Good news: Poetry is everywhere.
Introduction to Poetry
If you have ever taught your child a nursery rhyme then you have brought poetry into your home. Poetry does not have to be complicated. It can be simple and fun for children of all ages.
When your child has grown out of nursery rhymes, there are many more fantastic options! Shel Silverstein is a very well known poet who wrote “The Giving Tree” a children’s book that portrays unconditional love. Silverstein’s collections also include a plethora of poetry, most famously “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, which also includes whimsical illustrations to help stimulate the imagination.
For an older child who is still struggling to find interest in poetry, they can try listening instead! The Library of Congress has an archive of poetry with nearly two thousand recordings. Many of these recordings are of the poet reciting their own poetry which can lead to a better understanding and interpretation of the poem. There is also an app available to download from the Poetry Foundation. The POETRY mobile app makes hundreds of classic and contemporary poems available with a simple tap of a screen.
Why Poetry?
According to Scholastic.com, there are 7 reasons why your children NEED poetry:
- Poetry helps build early literacy skills. Rhyme, rhythm, and sound are emphasized in poems.
- Poetry helps develop memory and brainpower.
- Poetry encourages children to play with language and words.
- Poetry helps emerging readers. Often, emerging readers are not as intimidated when reading poetry because many poems are short and sweet. The rhyme helps with figuring out words, as does the rhythm.
- Poetry, especially in songs, is great for reluctant readers. When kids realize that songs are forms of poetry, they’re often all of a sudden interested in reading.
- Poetry gives all kids an outlet for sharing their thoughts, ideas, and feelings — especially tweens and teens.
- Poetry is fun!
Poetry expresses ideas and emotions through careful control of sound and rhythm. It’s one of the oldest language structures, and it is found all over the place if we look. It is everywhere and it allows us to access and understand our emotions in unique ways. As American poet Robert Frost once said, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”
Express emotions through words and poetry with Drama Kids International! Drama Kids classes give children of all ages the confidence through theatre games and activities to express themselves. Contact us today to learn more!