Poetry made easy!

I would not read it in a house,

I would not read it with a mouse.

I would not like it here or there - 

I would not like it anywhere!

I grew up not liking poetry,

but I've changed my mind, you see.

{You read that in a very particular style, didn't you?}

Growing up, I did not care much for poetry. At least, not the 'read this and analyze it because I said so and I'm the teacher' kind of poetry that is inflicted upon schoolchildren every once in a while. And by the time I got through college, I kind of rejoiced on the inside that I'd likely NEVER have to deal with poetry again!!

Until a couple of years ago, when the curriculum we use for homeschooling the girls included a daily poetry reading. At first, I thought the idea of reading poems to my 4- & 5-year-olds by Ogden Nash, Joyce Kilmer, Rudyard Kipling, and the like was kind of silly. Would the girls get it? Would they even care? I made a decision that if they didn't seem to like poems, I'd simply cut them out of the curriculum for now and introduce poetry a few years down the road.

Turns out, they look forward to our daily poetry reading almost as much as Read-Aloud time (far and away their favorite part of the day!). We don't set out to analyze or critique; I simply read the day's poem and just see where it goes.

Some days, it goes nowhere. The poem may not move them at all. We simply read and then move on.
Other days, whoa! It's like somebody lit a fire in their mind - I get questions, or "that reminds me of...", or "I think that the person is trying to say...". Or I get illustrations. Or later in the day, I hear them quoting the poem during playtime.

Some benefits I've found of supplying my daughters with poetry and other creative forms of expression:
1) increased vocabulary and a better grasp of grammar.
2) not merely tolerant of new things (dances, musical genres, works of art, etc), but seeing the beauty in them.
3) enhanced ability to share what's on their minds and hearts.
4) a closer bond with Daddy (who is an artist!), Mommy (because I'm learning alongside them), and each other (as they encourage one another to experiment with new ways of doing art, creating songs, practicing instruments, etc).

We recently read The Tyger. My girls LOVED it.
And they loved it even more after we looked up this photo on Wikipedia!

How can you help your child appreciate poetry, even at a young age (Hannah is 3, and I have been reading poetry to her daily for about 3 months now)?

Read good poetry. By yourself, and also to them.
Maybe not every day, but regularly. My favorite poets/poems: Victor Hugo, Amy Carmichael, & the Psalms.

Encourage them to memorize a few good poems.
We memorize line-by-line, or couplet-by-couplet depending on the kind of poem. Every morning for one week, we read a line or two together, out loud. Once the girls have memorized it, we move on, and on, and on - always including all of the previous weeks' memorizations. After a number of weeks, they've memorized a poem! We have memorized a few of the Psalms and Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" this way.

Also, singing songs is a great way for musically-minded kids to commit rhymes to memory!

Have them illustrate a poem once in a while, and praise their efforts - no matter how 'off' you think the interpretation is.
I just love kid art. And kid art inspired by other art is compoundedly awesome. If you have a spot in the house where they can hang it up for everyone to see, do that. Label it, ask for a description & write it down on the back, and date it. Years down the road, it may be a treasure!

When they learn to read, have them practice reading poetry out loud. Dramatically (and you should read it dramatically, too. Seriously. It's SO MUCH FUN.)!
The spoken part of delivering a poem is just as important as the written part. Try not to teach one without the other. If appropriate, let them watch others read their poetry, too. Even my introverted daughter can come out of her shell with flair when she's giving life to a poem she's learned!

If they're engaged in a particular poem, don't be afraid to ask big questions.
"What do you think is the big message of this poem?"
"What comes to mind when you read this?"
"What's another way the author could have said...?"
"How would you have said that differently?"
"What is your favorite part of this poem?"

This helps model critiquing skills and gets them used to thinking as they read to themselves. It's a valuable life skill and we shouldn't wait until they are in their teens to try to teach them!

Assign writing prompts that encourage them to write poetry once in a while. Start with couplets, and go from there.
My girls love it when I give them a writing prompt for poetry. We've been reading through Dr. Seuss' books lately and they get a kick out of writing their own silly rhymes.

Example:
I will not __________________________,
I will not __________________________!
I would not ________________________,
I could not ________________________!

Let them fill in the lines however they'd like, or give them a boundary (every other line must rhyme; every line should rhyme, etc)

Give them the freedom and encouragement to express themselves with poetry if they'd like.
My oldest daughter tends to run on the overly-expressive emotional side. Sometimes, if she's having a grumpy day, or she's moody, or if she's over the top giggly, I ask her if she wants to write down what she's thinking in a poem. It helps bring balance to her emotions and helps her focus on a productive task while I get a glimpse of her heart. Win-win for both of us.

Point out that David and others expressed themselves through the Psalms, too. We see frustration, joy, doubt, fear, feeling abandoned, praise, gladness, and anguish - through poetry. We also see (in Psalm 119 and in Proverbs 31) that acrostic poems helped young people commit important truths to memory!

What if your child doesn't seem interested?
I would suggest reading a poem, just every now and again, with no expectation - just offering it. You never know how or when they may get hooked on a particular type or style. And as they get older, if they really just aren't interested - let it go. It's a personal preference, not a sin issue, if they don't like poetry. Make sure you find out what makes them tick, and joyfully encourage those activities (sports? other arts? skills?) instead.

Here are books that I've used with the girls! Most are from Sonlight's curriculum.
(Note: These are not affiliate links. I've not been given any compensation for suggesting these. I seriously just love Sonlight!)
Poems and Prayers for the Very Young
Wee Sing Nursery Rhymes
A Treasury of Mother Goose Rhymes
Eric Carle's Animals, Animals (a favorite!)
The Llama Who Had No Pajama
The Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose
Favorite Poems of Childhood
various Dr. Seuss titles
Cornstalks: A Bushel of Poems
If
The Psalms (almost every day)

and sometimes I forget, but songs are usually a great way to share poetry!
I particularly like listening to:
David Crowder,
Keith Green,
Trip Lee,
Brandon Heath,
Bethany Dillon,
and
Shane & Shane
with the girls.

How do you share poetry (and other arts) with your children?

Sharing poetry,
for His glory!
~Lisha

I may be sharing this at these phenomenal Link-up parties!
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