The 3 Rs of Poetry

Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Poetry scares me.
How about you?

Why Poetry?

Poetry is language organized by rhythm. Reading and reciting poems with your child can be a very beneficial activity when it comes to building early literacy skills.


Many people think children will dislike poetry,
but that`s far from the truth...Children get a
real kick out of the bounce and wackiness of
poetry, and poems can often be paths to
literacy for children who have previously
found reading difficult.
- Mem Fox, Reading Magic, p. 88


Rhythm and Rhyme
Poems with good rhythm, the way the words bounce off the tongue, are especially appealing to young children who are mastering language and reading. The best ones should almost seem like you`re singing them.

Being able to rhyme is a very important milestone in early literacy development. Rhyme helps children understand that words that share common sounds often share common letter sequences. Rhyme also helps children break words into smaller parts and recognize smaller parts in words.

Nursery rhymes are a great way to introduce rhyme. They can be spoken, sung or read aloud. Not only are nursery rhymes a pleasure to hear and to share, they provide a building block toward literacy.

Books with Rhythm
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom? by Bill Martin Jr.
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess
I Went Walking by Sue Williams

Books with Rhyme
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle
Down by the Bay by Raffi
Silly Sally by Audrey Wood


Repetition
Repetition helps children make good guesses about what words will come next when you are reading with them or to them. Notice how your child’s reading confidence builds when the same great line keeps coming around again. This will help your child see himself as a reader.

Repetition helps information “stick” in your child’s memory. Your child will remember what they read long after they have read it.

Repetition makes poems memorable for your child and helps them understand what they are reading (the storyline).

Books with Repetition
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle
Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino

What Else Does Poetry Help With?

vocabulary knowing the names of things

assonance the repetition of vowel sounds that are close together. Example: I made my way to the lake.

consonance the repetition of consonant sounds that are close together. Example: Brown bear, brown bear

syllable counting chunks of sounds in words

patterning word order and sentence structure

learning and remembering

Do not to squirt glue all over the paper :
"A drop, a drop, a drop will do
Any more is too much glue."

Writing numbers:
"A straight line down makes a one
Writing numbers can be fun!"

pretend play using imagination to make mental images

alliteration two or more words begin with the same letter or sound.
Example: Miss Mary Mack

Favourite Poets for younger children:
Shel Silverstein
Jack Prelutsky
Jane Yolen
Douglas Florian
Roald Dahl


Does anyone have any other suggestions for books with great rhythm, rhyme or repetition? How about great poetry books for young children?

What are some creative ways to use poetry with young children?