How to Spark a Love for Poetry in Childhood

Jan 22

Reading Time: 2 mins

family sitting in daughters room reading a book together

If you’ve read a child a nursery rhyme, you’ve experienced first-hand how children embrace the ease and flow of a rhyming text, which makes the transition from nursery rhymes to children’s poetry a natural one.

Poetry introduces new word usage, sentence structures, and flow and is often shorter and less intimidating to younger children. Kids can experience great joy in reading and reciting poetry designed just for them.

Beyond all the fun, poetry also builds on essential children’s literacy skills such as character recognition, narrative structure, and reading comprehension.

How do we define a poem?

To many, poems are defined as a series of lines with similar syllable counts and common rhyme schemes. To others, it can be a bit more complex with internal rhymes and cadences. Poetry is often defined by the techniques used to create symbolism within the writing.

According to Corner Poetry

“Many young children aren’t interested in or able to identify the internal meaning or even many rhyme schemes any more complicated than external rhymes (incorporating words that rhyme at the end of lines).”

So the question is raised, what kind of poetry is suitable for children?

Making English Fun suggests that parents and educators should make the introduction to poetry a fun-filled experience using actions, facial expressions, and sing-a-longs that are easily remembered and fun to recite!

Try “Partner Poetry” to build on literacy skills.

Partner poetry is a fun and interactive way to enhance fluency in reading and encourages creative expression. This activity can be between two children or a child and an adult. Each poem is structured like a theater script with assigned character parts. It can have a problem and solution or contrasting narratives to create a sequence of events that tell a story. As you are crafting the poem, be sure to keep the story on track. Recite it afterward with silly voices & animated actions.

Here’s an example of “partner poetry” from Children's Author David L. Harrison:

LOVE YOU - (2 voices)

I love you. I love you too.

I love you three. I love you four.

I love you lots. I love you more.

I love you first. I love you longer.

I love you louder!!! I love you STRONGER!

purple night sky with drawings of nocturnal animals on the book cover — After Dark by David L. Harrison, Poems about Nocturnal Animals

Ms. Jordan Reads Literary Resources recommends the “partner poetry” technique to build reading fluency and comprehension skills. The site offers resources, including back-and-forth poems focusing on character perspective and corresponding comprehension activities. Using two voices explores the character's feelings and builds an understanding of varying character perspectives.

Try creating original poems.

Writing poems with your child can become an entertaining experience for all involved. Pick a topic and see what you can come up with.

Reading and writing poetry is an activity that may just stick with your kids, and you, for a lifetime. Why not give it a try?