Poetry may not seem very important to an adult today, but it is a type of writing that has many benefits when read to children. Reading childrens poems is a great way to develop very important life skills, such as telling one pitch apart from another, recognizing rhymes, and learning rhythm. It is an excellent way to get a child to gain an interest in writing, reading, or singing.
Nursery rhymes are probably the earliest form of children's poetry. They have been around since the 1700's. The earliest nursery rhymes were lullabies, which were originally intended to help children fall sleep, hence the name.
Historical references and distinctive melodies came to be a part of nursery rhymes. "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" was written in reference to the tax on wool and the slave trade in 18th century Britain. "London Bridge is Falling Down" was written in reference to the conquest of the Vikings. "Ring Around the Rosie" was a dark euphemism for the symptoms of the Bubonic Plague. Their brevity, rhyming lines, and simple melodies made nursery rhymes easy to sing and memorize.
Children learn quickly from repetition and speech. Children will develop language skills through reading, speaking, listening, and even singing. Children who are constantly read to and spoken to tend to have improved rates of cognitive development and language comprehension skills by the time they are 3. Poems can improve many aspects of these life skills.
Take for example, the well-known nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie". All of its syllables are in rhythm with the song's beat, and it has a rhyme in every one of its lines. Little poetry pieces such as these could easily teach a child reading, singing, and attentive listening while keeping the energy level up. Children who are talented at music, reading, and spatial reasoning were most likely raised listening to nursery rhymes and reading poetry.
Poems work so well at improving cognitive development because children enjoy poetry. It is important that the work is short in order to compensate for the lack of focus kids tend to have. Visual stimulation from a funny picture also tends to help. Children would probably find it boring to sit though an entire narrative. So today's poetry for children is focused primarily on entertaining children while accelerating their cognitive capabilities. Works by poets like Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein come to mind. Short poetry with humorous illustrations would be a lot more stimulating and fun to a child than would a long, arduous novel.
Poems can therefore be seen as a gateway to a great education. A child who loves poems and nursery rhymes would be highly likely to begin reading novels and longer works. Such hobbies could potentially lead to excellent writing, exceptional vocabulary, and good conversational skills.
But aside from academics, reading poetry has personal benefits as well. It keeps children entertained and it promotes the use of their imagination. Studies show that imagination and creativity keep children away from academic and social delinquency. Also, a creative mind would help in adolescence and adulthood by exploring unconventional solutions to life's problems.
Reading childrens poems appears to be such a menial task, but it does a surprising amount of good for children. Nursery rhymes and poems are utilized even today to teach children how to read and speak. Perhaps reading poetry before bedtime every night is one of the best things a parent can to for a child.
Nursery rhymes are probably the earliest form of children's poetry. They have been around since the 1700's. The earliest nursery rhymes were lullabies, which were originally intended to help children fall sleep, hence the name.
Historical references and distinctive melodies came to be a part of nursery rhymes. "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" was written in reference to the tax on wool and the slave trade in 18th century Britain. "London Bridge is Falling Down" was written in reference to the conquest of the Vikings. "Ring Around the Rosie" was a dark euphemism for the symptoms of the Bubonic Plague. Their brevity, rhyming lines, and simple melodies made nursery rhymes easy to sing and memorize.
Children learn quickly from repetition and speech. Children will develop language skills through reading, speaking, listening, and even singing. Children who are constantly read to and spoken to tend to have improved rates of cognitive development and language comprehension skills by the time they are 3. Poems can improve many aspects of these life skills.
Take for example, the well-known nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie". All of its syllables are in rhythm with the song's beat, and it has a rhyme in every one of its lines. Little poetry pieces such as these could easily teach a child reading, singing, and attentive listening while keeping the energy level up. Children who are talented at music, reading, and spatial reasoning were most likely raised listening to nursery rhymes and reading poetry.
Poems work so well at improving cognitive development because children enjoy poetry. It is important that the work is short in order to compensate for the lack of focus kids tend to have. Visual stimulation from a funny picture also tends to help. Children would probably find it boring to sit though an entire narrative. So today's poetry for children is focused primarily on entertaining children while accelerating their cognitive capabilities. Works by poets like Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein come to mind. Short poetry with humorous illustrations would be a lot more stimulating and fun to a child than would a long, arduous novel.
Poems can therefore be seen as a gateway to a great education. A child who loves poems and nursery rhymes would be highly likely to begin reading novels and longer works. Such hobbies could potentially lead to excellent writing, exceptional vocabulary, and good conversational skills.
But aside from academics, reading poetry has personal benefits as well. It keeps children entertained and it promotes the use of their imagination. Studies show that imagination and creativity keep children away from academic and social delinquency. Also, a creative mind would help in adolescence and adulthood by exploring unconventional solutions to life's problems.
Reading childrens poems appears to be such a menial task, but it does a surprising amount of good for children. Nursery rhymes and poems are utilized even today to teach children how to read and speak. Perhaps reading poetry before bedtime every night is one of the best things a parent can to for a child.
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