Whether poetry is enjoyed as a lively group activity or saved for quiet, one-to-one time, it can play a vital role in building children's vocabulary, their love and understanding of language and their ability to form pictures in the mind.
In her book The Genius of Natural Childhood, Sally Goddard Blythe emphasises the importance of absorbing information aurally. 'Matching auditory to visual mental images, and visual to auditory, is essential to processes of reading and writing,' she writes.
Reading poetry out loud helps to develop the 'music of language', she explains. 'This is the term I use to describe the tonal, rhythmic and phrasing of language, which contributes at least as much, if not more, to the meaning of words.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
