How to Teach Poetry to Kids

Anna wanna kondo bondo

Teaching poetry to children is fun. Consider these three factors first, if you are serious about wanting to teach poetry to them, in a way that they learn and have fun, at the same time.

If you relate well to children, teaching poetry to them, can be a wonderful experience for both you and them as most children love poetry. If the children know that you love them, even if they think that they don't like poetry, they will respond to you and to the poetry that you teach them, in a more positive manner. If children know that you love poetry, they will learn to love it, too.

Here are tips on how to teach poetry to children.

Use numbers

Using numbers to teach poetry to children, will help them to learn how to count.

For example, consider the following new piece of poetry and add your own verses. Go up to the number ten.

One little monkey,
Sitting in a tree,
"Where are all the others?"
"See! See! See!"

Use nonsense words

Nonsense words (or non-sense words) don't have to mean anything to children. For some reason they love them, especially when the words have rhythm or rhyme.

For example, a three year old autistic child, after hearing nursery rhymes recited, suddenly burst out with these words. They did not make any sense, even to his Japanese mother. Cutting out figures of four little people from paper and assigning these names to them, delighted him. Children do hear poetry, even if they do not appear to respond to it. He responded to the rhythm and rhyme and created his own non-sense poem.

"Anna
Wanna
Kondo
Bondo"

Use group interaction

Using group interaction helps children to learn poetry and teaches them how to interact together.

For example, do you remember the poem entitled, "Ring Around The Rosie" and the actions that went with it? Try them, just for fun, with a group of children.

"Ring around the rosy;
Pocket full of posy.
Hush-a, hush-a.
All fall down." (Author unknown)

Use music

Singing helps children learn poetry. Sing something to them and they will try to sing it back to you. Or, sing part of a song and let them sing a response. Sing together, whenever you have an opportunity to do so.

For example, sing the song "Happy Birthday", as you celebrate your child's birthday (or your own), with them. Or, write your own little poem and use that melody. Encourage children to do the same thing.

Use pictures

Teaching children poetry with pictures is an excellent way for them to learn. Ask them if they remember a nursery rhyme. Pictures help children to remember words and rhymes, like the names of birds and animals. They can also learn other lessons from poetry associated with pictures.

For example, consider what a picture of an owl and this piece of poetry might mean to them, over the years. 

“The wise old owl sat on an oak.

The more he saw, the less he spoke.
The less he spoke, the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that bird?”  (Author unknown)

Learning involves listening, too.

Use action

Using action when teaching children poetry, reinforces the fun part of poetry. Children love activity. Using up some of their energy, in conjunction with action poetry, allows them to concentrate on other things.

For example, consider the actions in this old nursery rhyme.

“Itsy, bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy, bitsy spider went up the spout again.” (Author unknown)

Use stories

Using stories to teach children poetry can be fun, especially when you create one of your own.

Consider this new piece of poetry and the story line in it.

There once was a puppy that would not sup.
The first little child fed him from a cup.
The next little child scolded him, "Bad pup!"
The third child said, "I know just what to do!"
He held him tight and told him "I love you!"
The sweet, little puppy ate it all up.

Use poetry with one-to-one interaction

Some children learn poetry more easily when they are taught on a one-to-one basis. Try using this old nursery rhyme, with the activity indicated in the poem.

“One, two, buckle my shoe;
Three, four; open the door.
Five, six, lay some sticks.
Seven, eight, lay them straight.
Nine, ten; do it again.” (Author unknown)

There are many other ways to teach children poetry, but doing these things will help children to learn poetry and allow them to have fun, at the same time.