Children's Laureate Michael Rosen recently bemoaned the decrease in the number of poetry books being published and the 'freezing out' of poetry in primary schools. He called for a specific poetry curriculum and the reintroduction of poems in classrooms and assemblies, as well as in books.
It is never too early to bring poetry into children's lives. The basic elements of rhythm and rhyme are, of course, already there in nursery rhymes and many of the simple story texts that children enjoy. It is the familiar beat, together with the richness of language and easy-to-learn choruses, that help children develop a passion for words and take their first steps towards learning to read.
Children respond particularly well to poems that make them laugh, include repetitive phrases, have a clear lively rhythm, or can be accompanied by simple actions. Unless children meet and engage with poetry at an early stage, there is a real danger that they will never come to appreciate or value its role, both in literature and in life.
What the poets say
- 'There is just so much fun and enjoyment to be had with the rhythms and rhymes of poetry and, of course, it informs all our lives. It's there in the adverts we watch on TV, in the songs we hear on the radio, and the first port of call for many people when they experience sadness in their lives.' Brian Moses
- 'Poetry enables pre-schoolers to anticipate, join in with and commit to memory, chunks of literature in a playful, enriching way. The musicality of poetry helps them fine-tune their ear for language, helps them understand the patterning of grammar and develops their ability to recognise similar word endings.' Rachel Rooney
- 'Use poetry every day and it becomes like a favourite song. You know every beat of it. It's familiar, comforting and begs you to join in. Poetry provides opportunities to use different voices, sound effects and actions, so it's a real multi-sensory experience.' Sue Hardy-Dawson
- 'Children are charmed by the magic of words, enchanted by their rhythm and sound. Poetry has the power to paint pictures, tell stories, shine a torch and bring the whole world alive. A lucky child is one who falls under its spell from a very early age.' Graham Denton
In the nursery
Here are some ideas for introducing poems into daily nursery life:
- Include at least one poem or rhyming text at every storytime session. Always have a selection of fun poetry books available in the book corner.
- Choose a favourite poem and display it on the wall. Ask the children to draw pictures to illustrate it. Recite it together regularly until the children can remember it 'by heart'. Then take it down and replace it with a new 'poem of the month'. Let the children help choose it.
- Try experimenting with new rhymes. Take a familiar nursery rhyme and change a key word. Ask the children to think of some new words to complete the rhyming pattern - for example, 'Humpty Dumpty sat on the hedge ... Humpty Dumpty fell off the edge'.
- Cut out some simple pictures and stick them on cards. Play matching games, saying the words aloud and asking the children to match pictures whose names rhyme, such as hat and cat, house and mouse.
- Use a drum and ask each child, in turn, to beat out the rhythm in time to a poem or nursery rhyme as it is read aloud. Choose rhymes with a simple regular beat, like 'Hickory dickory dock' or 'Row, row, row your boat'.
- In outside play, introduce traditional skipping or counting rhymes to recite as children skip or throw a ball - for example, 'One potato, two potato, three potato, four ...'.
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Hairy Maclary by Lynley Dodd (Viking). Children can't help joining in with the rhythmic flow of the language, especially the fun lists of dogs' names.
Nonsense Fairytale Rhymes by Kaye Umansky (Oxford University Press). Funny and original versions of familiar stories, including Goldilocks and Cinderella, rewritten in rhyme.
The Cross-with-us Rhinoceros by Paul Geraghty (Red Fox). Written in rhyming text and combining excitement and humour, a storybook to read again and again.
The Puffin Book of Fantastic First Poems edited by June Crebbin (Puffin). A magical celebration of poetry from more than 60 poets, traditional and modern. A great stepping-stone from nursery rhyme to 'real' poetry.
Funny Poems for Christmas compiled by Paul Cookson (Scholastic). A truly amusing collection, covering everything from Santa to snow.
