Poetry is an important form of creative writing that centers around the expression of complex feelings and experiences. The interplay of certain words and rhythm makes poetry a powerful tool for building foundational literacy and writing skills, including reading comprehension, phonemic awareness, self-expression, and storytelling.
Beyond that, encouraging kids of all ages and interests to write poetry offers them meaningful learning opportunities. Reading poetry helps children appreciate simple ideas through figurative language and gain a deeper understanding of stories outside of their own life experiences. By providing a window into the thoughts of others, poetry has the power to increase empathy and provide a new perspective of the human experience.
On the other hand, writing poetry encourages kids to express themselves and channel their imagination through a unique art form. Poetry writing provides an outlet for children to process and communicate how they feel and what they think in their own writing. From experimenting with various poetic devices to exploring different rhyming words, writing poetry grants kids the freedom to run wild with their own thoughts.
Encourage your child to write their own poetry and channel their inner Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson! To help them get started, show kids how integrated poetry is in everyday life. In fact, we are surrounded by many poems every day, such as the music we listen to. You can introduce them to traditional forms of poetry, which often follows particular rhyme schemes and a standard sentence structure, or contemporary poetry, which is typically written in free verse.
To further spark inspiration, we’ve compiled a list of poetry books kids and families love. For instance, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dragon! is a hilarious read-aloud poem packed with hysterical illustrations and a fun rhyme scheme that brings the classic song to life. Your little one will love following along as the Old Lady swallows everything from an astronaut to a princess to a dragon!
Meanwhile, kids will delight in charming titles, like Lovely Day and Love from Giraffes Can't Dance, that share sweet stories about the beauty in our everyday lives. Plus, inspiring titles like To Change a Planet will empower even the youngest readers to make the world a better place.
Shop poetry books to inspire creativity below! You can find all books and activities at The Scholastic Store.