Poetry may not seem very important to an adult today, but it is a type of writing that has many benefits when read to children. Reading childrens poems is a great way to develop very important life skills, such as telling one pitch apart from another, recognizing rhymes, and learning rhythm. It is an excellent way to get a child to gain an interest in writing, reading, or singing.
Nursery rhymes are the earliest known form of children's poetry. Early nursery rhymes were called lullabies, originally intended to help children fall sleep, hence the name. They were first recorded in the 1700's and have been a part of our childrearing process ever since.
Nursery rhymes developed distinctive melodic lines over the years, and were also used as historical references. "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" referenced the wool tax and the slave trade in mid 18th century Britain. "London Bridge is Falling Down" referenced the sacking and pillaging that the Vikings left behind. "Ring Around the Rosie" was a lighthearted euphemism for the Black Plague. Nursery rhymes like these were easily memorized and sung because they had simple melodies, rhymed, and were short.
Repetition and speech is what children learn from the fastest. Singing, speaking, writing, and reading continuously help children develop language skills. Children with a lot of exposure to reading and speaking tend to have superior language comprehension capabilities and accelerated cognitive development by age 3. Poetry and nursery rhymes can teach all of these skills to a child.
Take the nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie", for example. There are four lines, all of which rhyme, all with syllables that fit into the rhythm of the song. It is a very simple yet effective way to teach a child a few words, basic rhythm, and singing without completely boring the child. As mentioned above, children who are exposed to poetry and/or nursery rhymes at an early age are thought to show greater aptitude in music, reading, and even spatial reasoning.
Poems work so well at improving cognitive development because children enjoy poetry. It is important that the work is short in order to compensate for the lack of focus kids tend to have. Visual stimulation from a funny picture also tends to help. Children would probably find it boring to sit though an entire narrative. So today's poetry for children is focused primarily on entertaining children while accelerating their cognitive capabilities. Works by poets like Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein come to mind. Short poetry with humorous illustrations would be a lot more stimulating and fun to a child than would a long, arduous novel.
Poems can therefore be seen as a gateway to a great education. A child who loves poems and nursery rhymes would be highly likely to begin reading novels and longer works. Such hobbies could potentially lead to excellent writing, exceptional vocabulary, and good conversational skills.
But academics aside, there are personal benefits to reap from reading poems. It promotes the use of a child's imagination while keeping them entertained. Research shows that creativity and the use of imagination keep children from social and academic delinquency. Not to mention, creativity has use in application in adulthood, helping one invent creative solutions to problems in life.
Reading childrens poems is so unassuming that one might be taken aback by how good it is for the child. Nursery rhymes and poems from the 1700's still exist today for a reason. Reading poetry every night before bedtime is a great thing a parent can do for the future of his or her child.
Nursery rhymes are the earliest known form of children's poetry. Early nursery rhymes were called lullabies, originally intended to help children fall sleep, hence the name. They were first recorded in the 1700's and have been a part of our childrearing process ever since.
Nursery rhymes developed distinctive melodic lines over the years, and were also used as historical references. "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" referenced the wool tax and the slave trade in mid 18th century Britain. "London Bridge is Falling Down" referenced the sacking and pillaging that the Vikings left behind. "Ring Around the Rosie" was a lighthearted euphemism for the Black Plague. Nursery rhymes like these were easily memorized and sung because they had simple melodies, rhymed, and were short.
Repetition and speech is what children learn from the fastest. Singing, speaking, writing, and reading continuously help children develop language skills. Children with a lot of exposure to reading and speaking tend to have superior language comprehension capabilities and accelerated cognitive development by age 3. Poetry and nursery rhymes can teach all of these skills to a child.
Take the nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie", for example. There are four lines, all of which rhyme, all with syllables that fit into the rhythm of the song. It is a very simple yet effective way to teach a child a few words, basic rhythm, and singing without completely boring the child. As mentioned above, children who are exposed to poetry and/or nursery rhymes at an early age are thought to show greater aptitude in music, reading, and even spatial reasoning.
Poems work so well at improving cognitive development because children enjoy poetry. It is important that the work is short in order to compensate for the lack of focus kids tend to have. Visual stimulation from a funny picture also tends to help. Children would probably find it boring to sit though an entire narrative. So today's poetry for children is focused primarily on entertaining children while accelerating their cognitive capabilities. Works by poets like Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein come to mind. Short poetry with humorous illustrations would be a lot more stimulating and fun to a child than would a long, arduous novel.
Poems can therefore be seen as a gateway to a great education. A child who loves poems and nursery rhymes would be highly likely to begin reading novels and longer works. Such hobbies could potentially lead to excellent writing, exceptional vocabulary, and good conversational skills.
But academics aside, there are personal benefits to reap from reading poems. It promotes the use of a child's imagination while keeping them entertained. Research shows that creativity and the use of imagination keep children from social and academic delinquency. Not to mention, creativity has use in application in adulthood, helping one invent creative solutions to problems in life.
Reading childrens poems is so unassuming that one might be taken aback by how good it is for the child. Nursery rhymes and poems from the 1700's still exist today for a reason. Reading poetry every night before bedtime is a great thing a parent can do for the future of his or her child.
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If you want to see a selection of childrens poems, visit our web pages at www.susannoyesandersonpoems.com today. You can see details here at http://www.susannoyesandersonpoems.com now.
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