While poetry may appear to be insignificant in the life of the average adult, it is a form of writing that has many advantages when children are the primary audience. Reading childrens poems may be an excellent way to cultivate certain life skills, such as recognizing rhymes, learning rhythm, and being able to differentiate pitch. It is also a great way to get children into reading, writing, and perhaps even 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.
Nursery rhymes developed distinctive melodic lines over the years, and were also used as historical references. "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" referenced the wool tax and the slave trade in mid 18th century Britain. "London Bridge is Falling Down" referenced the sacking and pillaging that the Vikings left behind. "Ring Around the Rosie" was a lighthearted euphemism for the Black Plague. Nursery rhymes like these were easily memorized and sung because they had simple melodies, rhymed, and were short.
Repetition and speech is what children learn from the fastest. Singing, speaking, writing, and reading continuously help children develop language skills. Children with a lot of exposure to reading and speaking tend to have superior language comprehension capabilities and accelerated cognitive development by age 3. Poetry and nursery rhymes can teach all of these skills to a child.
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.
The fact that children enjoy this poetry is what makes this system work so well. Children's short attention spans are taken into account, resulting in shorter works. Added humorous pictures also provide much needed visual stimulation. A child would most likely be very bored if asked to sit through the reading of an entire novel, without any form of music, singing, or visual interpretations. Poetry does a great job at keeping children entertained while providing a means to improving cognitive development. The poetry of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein are excellent works that can do such a thing for children. A child would easily find a short poem with pictures and rhymes to be much more entertaining than a novel full of dry prose.
Poems can be seen as the first step to an educated future. If a child develops a love for poetry, he or she will most likely go onto books and novels. These will in turn lead to better vocabulary, a good writing style, and excellent conversational skills. Gaining an interest in poetry is most likely the easiest way to begin such a lifestyle.
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 is so unassuming that one might be taken aback by how good it is for the child. Nursery rhymes and poems from the 1700's still exist today for a reason. Reading poetry every night before bedtime is a great thing a parent can do for the future of his or her 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.
Nursery rhymes developed distinctive melodic lines over the years, and were also used as historical references. "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" referenced the wool tax and the slave trade in mid 18th century Britain. "London Bridge is Falling Down" referenced the sacking and pillaging that the Vikings left behind. "Ring Around the Rosie" was a lighthearted euphemism for the Black Plague. Nursery rhymes like these were easily memorized and sung because they had simple melodies, rhymed, and were short.
Repetition and speech is what children learn from the fastest. Singing, speaking, writing, and reading continuously help children develop language skills. Children with a lot of exposure to reading and speaking tend to have superior language comprehension capabilities and accelerated cognitive development by age 3. Poetry and nursery rhymes can teach all of these skills to a child.
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.
The fact that children enjoy this poetry is what makes this system work so well. Children's short attention spans are taken into account, resulting in shorter works. Added humorous pictures also provide much needed visual stimulation. A child would most likely be very bored if asked to sit through the reading of an entire novel, without any form of music, singing, or visual interpretations. Poetry does a great job at keeping children entertained while providing a means to improving cognitive development. The poetry of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein are excellent works that can do such a thing for children. A child would easily find a short poem with pictures and rhymes to be much more entertaining than a novel full of dry prose.
Poems can be seen as the first step to an educated future. If a child develops a love for poetry, he or she will most likely go onto books and novels. These will in turn lead to better vocabulary, a good writing style, and excellent conversational skills. Gaining an interest in poetry is most likely the easiest way to begin such a lifestyle.
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 is so unassuming that one might be taken aback by how good it is for the child. Nursery rhymes and poems from the 1700's still exist today for a reason. Reading poetry every night before bedtime is a great thing a parent can do for the future of his or her child.
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