Poems are fun for Literacy number one!

Each week the children and I are exploring the different poems on offer here at Papakura Central School.

But why are poems important? Here are five very good reasons for engaging with your children in poem reading:

1. Poems build reading, speaking and listening skills: Children need to learn to read a variety  of also has  texts and poems are one of those forms. The unique thing about poetry is that we often read aloud, repeat often, and share in groups. When children are listening to poems orally, they are building their listening skills. They learn to attend to the words they hear and to think about what those words mean together.
2. Poems explore language and vocabulary: Poetry often contains words that rhyme for effect. Children can learn about phonics and letter sounds by listening for and locating rhyming words. A poem can be used to teach sentence structure, parts of speech, and many grammar skills. 
3. Poems inspire writing: We teach how poems are constructed and the words they contain. It is the first step to writing. Different types of poems have various components. In poetry, we learn how to put words together to form meaning and context. We learn how to choose the right words to create imagery and effect. When we break poems down into their parts, we learn a lot about how writing comes together. 
4. Poems encourage creative thinking: Poetry is a form of expression. Writing it lets us get out our feelings and thoughts on a subject while reading it encourages us to connect and find meaning in our experiences.
5. Poems build a love for reading: Children have a natural curiosity to foster and encourage with poetry. It creates enchantment and wonder in a child’s mind. Poems encourage kids to imagine new worlds and experiences.

Children's Poetry Book Ideas: it is essential to find great examples of poems to share with children. Margaret Mahy, Joy Cowley, Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss, are a few fantastic authors who have written a variety of poetry and books for children. You can google them or check them out at your local library.

Room 19's back wall also displays the children's work on some of the poems we are learning in class, so please check them out. Poems are also coming home in the Homelinks/Poetry books once a week. Please encourage your children to read them to you, and hold discussions about these poems.

Thanks for your interest, and we hope to see you here checking out our next blog soon!