If you’re stuck on how to have a good time, let us tell you all about the power of rhyme!
April was national poetry month and it got us thinking about the beauty of poems. We are keen to highlight the impressive cognitive benefits poetry can bring to your child’s literacy skills. Poetry can often get a little bit forgotten in classrooms as most schools place a heavier focus on general reading and writing, but poetry can immensely help your child’s cognitive development just as much as reading books and writing stories can.
Rhymes create rhythm
The rhythmic structure of the stanzas (paragraphs or lines) in a poem help children to develop a good sense of rhythm and timing – something that can help them in other subjects like music and dance.
Poetry and memory
Poems are often short and snappy, and when read a couple of times, the repeated rhythm can make it easier for children to remember things. Some experts have even said that if a child can recite eight nursery rhymes off by heart by the time they are four-years-old, they are often among the best readers in their class when they are eight-years-old.
Understanding emotion
Poems can be happy and sad and everything in between. From the way a poem is read and the expressions used by altering mouth movements and changing the way words are said, children can use poetry to identify different types of emotions quickly.
Expanding vocabulary
The English language is very complex and there are several words that all look and sound the same but mean different things.
It can be hard for children to grasp this, but poems present children with this scenario all the time, essentially acting like a fast-track pass to helping little ones learn new word definitions.
In addition, challenging children to rhyme words will introduce them to new ones much quicker.
Listening skills
Poetry slams and spoken word pieces have never been so popular. We hear them all the time in all different contexts; sometimes serious and sometimes not. Either way, the enthusiasm used to tell a story in things like spoken word encourages children to pay attention and listen more carefully. Listening is an invaluable skill that sometimes smaller ones can struggle with at first, but poetry is a fun way to encourage them to listen and engage with you.
As with most other literacy subjects, the best way to present a child with poems is with colourful and enchanting books. We think poems deserve their own special bookshelf because of all the wonderful skills they can bring to your child in these crucial developmental years.
Our Bubblegum Book Ladder is a fantastically unique way to display poetry books in a way that is as fun and captivating as the stories it holds.
At Early Learning Furniture we are experts in early years’ education resources including classroom furniture, school dining furniture and school play equipment. For more information about our products please contact us or call us on 01733 511121.
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