Poems take us on a wonderful lyrical journey. Poetry can take us to enchanting places and meet enchanting strangers with just a few words. Each word and stanza in a poem is specifically chosen and written in such a way that it evokes the reader’s emotions and imagination. Reading poetry can be a life changing experience, especially for little kids.

Many people do not think it’s important to teach little kids to appreciate poetry. But reading poetry is important and it can change your kids’ life for the better. From better reading skills to phonemic awareness, and a vast vocabulary, reading poetry has a lot of benefits for kids.

Still sceptical about including poetry in your child’s lessons? Here are 7 reasons why you should teach poetry to your child and how it helps them.

7 Ways Reading Poetry Helps Kids

Reading poetry is extremely beneficial for your child. Here are 7 ways that reading poetry can have a positive impact on your kids.

1. Reading skills: Poetry is a great way to boost your child’s reading skills. Most kids would be daunted when it comes to reading, especially if it’s a book. But poems like bedtime poems for kids are usually short, with just a few lines. So, kids will find it easier to read, and enjoy it too.
2. Language skills: Helping children develop their language is extremely important to building good communication skills. The words in poems are chosen and written in such a way that it leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Poems have a different narrative structure, rhymes and words, which help in building a child’s literacy and language skills.
3. Teaches kids about sound: When kids read poetry or listen to someone recite poems, they learn about pitch, volume, voice and inflection. They also learn phonemic sounds and learn how to sound out words. All these are important functions of speech and also help children learn how to read.
4. Vocabulary building: Poems are a great way to teach children new words, which is important to build their vocabulary. For example, holiday poems like Christmas poems for kids, or Thanksgiving poems, introduce them to new words related to the holidays. A wide and vast vocabulary helps kids improve their reading skills and communication skills.
5. Empathy and understanding emotions: Poems teach us some important life lessons and values. They teach us to be kind, caring, forgiving, empathetic and compassionate. Some poems also teach us about right and wrong. Poetry can help us to see things from different perspectives, and understand the poet’s emotions. Additionally, it also helps children understand their own emotions and learn to deal with them.
6. Provides an outlet to their emotions: Words are a great way to express ourselves, especially when it’s presented in a poem. Every child struggles with a personal issue, like fear, or an argument with a friend, etc. Expressing their fears, or writing an apology letter, in the form of a poem, can be therapeutic. It provides a wonderful outlet to express their feelings and emotions.
7. Creativity: Children have a wild imagination and are very creative. The rhyme, rhythm and wordplay in poetry will help them think about new relationships between words. This helps in tapping into their imagination and creativity. As they start writing poems, they’ll learn to express themselves freely and creatively.