Why teach poetry to children?

Teaching poetry to children, I believe, is about giving them an edge in a challenging world.

I didn’t learn much about poetry as a kid. I read it. I even wrote it! But no one ever really taught me about poetry. I remember reading Beowulf and Shakespeare, and I have a vague memory of having to choose a poem to read aloud in class as part of a speech unit in middle school—I chose “Over the Misty Mountains Cold” from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Once, I attended a writing workshop with several other students from my school during which we wrote a collaborative poem with some poet whose name I don’t recall.

And that was the extent of my formal poetry education.

All throughout my childhood and teen years, and into young adulthood, I wrote poetry. I didn’t really know what I was doing other than I was trying to emulate what I read in some of my favorite poems and songs. How my young self would have loved to dive deeper into the world of poetry! There were so many forms to discover. So many themes to explore. So much to learn about poetic devices and language and rhyme. It was something I ended up learning on my own, through trial, error, and lots and lots of reading and writing. But poetry isn’t something that students should have to struggle to learn on their own. Parents and teachers can foster this in their homes and classrooms.

Of course, not all kids are as inclined to learn about poetry as I was. Some of them will need more encouragement and hands-on instruction. But that doesn’t mean they won’t benefit from learning about poetry. Teaching poetry to children isn’t about helping them become great poets, or okay poets, or poets at all. Teaching poetry to children, I believe, is about giving them an edge in a challenging world.

Poetry engages the mind differently than prose. Where prose is often straightforward and clear, poetry often has to be examined for meaning, which can help develop critical thinking skills. Exploring various poets will expose them to a variety of forms of expression and perspectives, especially when studying poetry from different times and cultures, which can help them appreciate the diverse world in which we live.

Reading and writing poetry can give students an appreciation for language and wordplay, helping them learn to express themselves creatively. The limitations of poetry—especially some of the more restrictive forms—will help them develop stronger vocabularies and be better at communicating more concisely.

And let’s not forget that poetry can be a lot of fun, both to read and to write. Poetry can be as silly as “The Crocodile’s Toothache” by Shel Silverstein, as somber as “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” by Dylan Thomas, or fall somewhere in between. But when a poet uses language and imagery (and sometimes meter and rhyme) in a way that engages the mind and inspires the imagination, what can be more beneficial than that?

You may think that you’re not equipped to teach poetry to children because you’re not a poetry teacher or you didn’t study poetry in school. Maybe you’ve always been a little mystified by poetry yourself. If that’s the case, then the solution is to learn alongside them. The best way to learn to do something is to do it, and with poetry, the stakes are low, but the potential benefits are high.

You can start today with one of the Weekly Poetry Challenges we’ve shared so far this year—haiku, odes, and riddle poems. And here are some great books to help you out further:

• A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Chris Raschka. This book introduces lots different poetic forms, with example poems, and includes notes on each form at the back of the book. A great introduction for readers and writers.

• Rose, Where Did You Get that Red? Teaching Great Poetry to Children by Kenneth Koch is a great resource for parents and teachers who want to teach classic poetry to children. This book includes simple, specific poetry lessons that the author has used in his own experiences in teaching poetry to students of various ages.

• How to Write a Poem by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. This is a poetic explanation of how to write a poem, meant to inspire young poets to look at the world around them and dig deep into their imaginations before writing.

• Poetry anthologies are good resources for exploring and learning about different poets and forms. Some favorites are Treasury of Children’s Poetry edited by Angie Sage, The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry, and An Illustrated Treasury of Read-Aloud Poems for Young People. You may also want to consider the forthcoming anthology from Bandersnatch Books, I’ve Got a Bad Case of Poetry, edited by Rachel S. Donahue.

Note: Some links will take you to the Read, Discuss, Do bookshop.org storefront. Purchasing a book from the storefront will support independent bookstores and help maintain Read, Discuss, Do at no additional cost to you.

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