Poetry For Children: A Way To Awaken Their Creativity
Poetry is related to beauty when it comes to communicating through the word. This shows the importance of promoting poetry for children. How can this be done and what benefits children get from learning poetry?
What is poetry?
Poetry itself means a literary composition that is conceived in order to express beauty in an artistic way through words. Therefore, it is subject to the cadence and measure of the verse. In other words, poetry can be defined as follows.
On more than one occasion, many people have been delighted to listen to a poem, as it stimulates their imagination and makes them enjoy the rhyme that characterizes it. In the case of children, the same thing happens, apart from the fact that they obtain other benefits. But before mentioning them, effective ways to teach poetry to children will be explained.
How to teach poetry to children
It is important to present poetry to children in a relaxed environment. This is given that children have the right to enjoy the beauty and humor that a poetry evokes. Therefore, it is appropriate to teach children at the right time and not when they are tired.
In the case of parents, they should take into account that they do not need to memorize many poetry. It is preferable to select some poems that children like, which are adapted to their age and maturity, and that they know how to share with their children.
Allow children to choose too
Parents can not only choose poetry, they must allow children to choose. This will allow parents to learn more about the preferences and tastes of their children.
When choosing, parents should choose quality over quantity. This translates into choosing the most suitable poems, and not just the longest or most famous ones. Take into account the pauses, so as not to affect the meaning and, therefore, the understanding of poetry.
Read poetry expressively
Poetry should be read more slowly than prose text. Therefore, after performing a first reading slowly, it is advisable to perform a second reading aloud, in order for the child to clarify some aspect of poetry or savor a particular expression.
Important! Never impose memorization
Children should not be forced to memorize poetry. Nor can children be expected to learn the same poetry. The tastes of each child vary, so each one must choose the poetry they want to memorize. Children should be given the necessary time so that they can learn and enjoy the poetry heard. Each word of a poem has a lot of meaning. Only then can they memorize certain phrases.
Observe the expressions or reactions of children when reading a poem
To see which poems a certain child loves, just observe their bodily reactions (smile, half-open mouth, bright eyes) when listening to a poem. This way, more guidance can be given to it in case there is a doubt.
In certain cases, poetry should not be explained. For what reason? As with music, at certain times it is preferable to let it work alone. The interpretation of poetry is personal. Therefore, you should not insist that children accept what fascinates you.
Benefits of poetry for children
Poetry for children is an ideal tool for children when it comes to transmitting knowledge in a fun way, as well as bringing them closer to the world of letters. And these are just a few benefits. Here are other benefits:
- Imagination is stimulated : This is given in view of the fact that they are attracted to the rhythm of poetry, which influences the stimulation of the imagination.
- Stimulate the habit of reading.
- Enriches vocabulary : This occurs because it facilitates learning in relation to the concepts that you want to be recorded in the minds of children, in addition to relating them to the environment that surrounds them.
Memory is exercised and creativity is activated
Stimulates memory : In view of the characteristic musicality of poetry, the smallest of the house are able to memorize certain phrases and they do it with pleasure. They allow them to delve into what emotions mean, thus acquiring sensitivity, they also develop creative faculties and capacities.
When reading poetry for children, values are transmitted and they work with their psychomotor skills
Given that social learning is involved, it is possible to transmit values to children through poetry, since both tolerance and solidarity are present in it on many occasions. Since poetry can be dramatized, the psychomotor skills of children can be worked on. Thanks to this, it is possible to perform balance and coordination exercises.
For all the above, it is essential to teach the smallest of the house various poetry as soon as possible. Only in this way will various concepts be recorded in their memories that, on many occasions, parents want their children to learn, using an effective teaching tool such as poetry for children.
