For many adults, poetry is either a dead or boring format, with no relevance, resonance, or rightness to it. "I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree"? Oh, brother!
Kids know better.
Poetry is their natural language. Starting in first and second grade, they begin to hear the end rhymes of words and will repeat rhyming words with delight (theirs, not necessarily yours). They start understanding metaphors and similes - "You're shaking like a leaf!" "It's raining cats and dogs!" - and enjoy using language that captures their feelings and ideas.
That's why National Poetry Month, which we have recognized as a nation in April since 1996 - is a natural celebration for children. There are many great resources available for adults to bring the awareness of poetry, encourage poetry-reading (and writing!), and share the beauty of both classic and contemporary poems in the classroom and at home.
In the library, you'll find many books of poetry in the J 811 nonfiction section to share with your children and students - funny poems, serious poems, poems about school and sea urchins and holidays and more.
This April, why not swing by a library and check out some of these books to share at home?
- Laura Raphael, Children's Services Coordinator