Enjoying Poetry with Your Children

By New York City Department of Education Staff

These ideas were inspired by Bernice E. Cullinan from her book entitled Read to Me: Raising Kids who Love to Read

Sharing poetry with your child is both fun and rewarding. Doing so can brighten up the morning walk to school or provide a soothing end to the day for both you and your child.

Reading Poetry Together
For younger children, Mother Goose nursery rhymes and lullabies are good choices. There are also many beautifully illustrated collections of poetry for families and for the very young (See the attached list). Read just a couple of rhymes, poems, or lullabies each night and enjoy the “sing-song” quality of the rhymes, the language, and the word play. You might even clap or tap out the rhythm on your child’s back as you calm him/her to sleep.

With older children, you may want to read fewer poems, maybe selecting just one or two to read, recite together, and talk about. Encourage children to talk about the feelings they have after hearing the poem, and share your own. What words helped them to see images or pictures in their minds? What part of the poem did they like or dislike, and why? Listen, discuss, engage in conversation, but resist the urge to “teach” here. You’ll just want to share your ideas and feelings about the poetry with each other.

Fill in the Rhyme
When reading poetry and verse that rhymes aloud, you may want to play this “Fill in the Rhyme” game. Read the first line of the poem and read all the phrases of the next line, up until the rhyming word. Then, stop and encourage your child to supply the word that rhymes.

Family Poetry Night
Family members may want to have a “Family Poetry Night,” where everyone chooses a favorite poem, then spends a week either memorizing or rehearsing a reading of it. Help your children find a “just right” poem that speaks to them. School and local librarians are always eager to share their expertise and are likely to have lots of favorites to suggest. On the designated evening, share your poems with each other.

Start with the quirky, funny poetry of Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Michael Rosen, Jeff Moss, or Douglas Florian, among many others. Use your voice to emphasize the key words of the poem, the emotions of the poem, or even the shape of the poem. Have fun with it! Some families tape-record these readings, creating a “family favorites tape” to play on long car trips or at bedtime.

Encourage your child to bring home one of his/her favorite poetry books from class for nightly reading. And, remember to return the book to class the next day.

For Reluctant Poetry Readers
If you have a reluctant poetry reader in the house, try a collection that revolves around a theme you know your children love. There are so many books to choose from: collections of poetry about food, sports, play time, family, just to name a few. Many picture books are written in verse form as well. City Dog by Karla Kuskin, Come on Rain by Karen Hesse and Harlem by Walter Dean Myers are just a few great examples. For older kids, you might try novels written in verse: Love That Dog by Sharon Creech is a good start. And don’t forget to give your child time to just enjoy the artwork and illustrations for a few minutes and to read the poem once again until lights out.

Family Choral Reading or Reader’s Theater
Try a family choral reading of a favorite poem or a group recitation of a favorite. Here, story poems or ballads are good choices. Illustrated copies of Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, and poems by Ogden Nash are good starting places. How about the classics you might remember from your own school days: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere or The Village Blacksmith by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lloyd Tennyson. Some “classic” children’s poems are also available as picture books The Owl and the Pussy Cat by Edward Lear and Adventures of Isabel by Ogden Nash are two good examples. Check out some books of poetry specifically designed to read with a partner – Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman. Or, try a poem where each family member takes a part and does a dramatic reading. Ask your child’s teacher for help and advice. Reading poetry aloud should be as much fun as reading a picture book or a chapter from any of your family’s favorite books.

No Time for Poetry?
If there’s too little time in the day for a full-fledged poetry reading, try sticking a short humorous poem or limerick in your child’s lunchbox or backpack. Chant jump-rope or nursery rhymes, or other favorites with a strong beat, on the way to school or while you wait for the bus or train in the morning (Try Rope Rhyme in Honey, I Love by Eloise Greenfield.). Remember, too, that older siblings might enjoy reading the poetry they’ve learned and studied in class to younger brothers and sisters. These influential poetry fans will be excellent role models for the little ones – and the attention will be great for their self esteem, as well.

Writing Poetry Together
As your children begin writing poetry in school, you might try your hand at writing a poem in a similar form. You might also respond in poetry to a poem addressed to you. Poetry magnets for the refrigerator can be fun and make it possible to experiment with word choice and line breaks as you leave poetic messages for each other.

Write a Poetry Acrostic
List each letter of your child’s name down the side of a sheet of paper (e.g. K-A-Y-L-A). Encourage your child to think of words that would describe himself or another family member. Write and illustrate a poetry acrostic for each member of the family. Send them as gifts, or make a card.

Write a Letter to a Poet
Encourage your child to write a letter or draw a picture in response to a favorite poem and send it on to the poet. You can help with spelling and/or typing and tracking down the address. Usually, it’s safe to address the letter to the publisher of the book, and it will be forwarded. Many authors do write back, so watch your mailbox! If your child does receive a letter, perhaps he or she would like to share it with the class.

Celebrations
Remember to celebrate the “published” poems and personal poetry anthologies that your children bring home as they complete their poetry unit of study in school. Invite your children to proudly read their poetry aloud with the family as an audience – or even to long-distance relatives and friends by phone. You might also share their work via e-mail.

Finding Poetry
To find poetry books, ask your children’s teachers and school librarian; check out your local library shelves, used bookstores, stoop sales and of course, your local bookstore.

Excerpt from: Tips for Families:
Enjoying Poetry with Your Children