When your give children a song and rhyme,
You give them a gift that will last for all time! It’s true! We keep songs and poems that we learn when we are young in our hearts and minds all of our lives. Some of the first words we heard were lullabies and lap rhymes that our parents said to us as infants. April is National Poetry Month, so over the next few days I’ll explore ways you can integrate poetry with standards.
Here are eight great reasons for using poetry in your classroom:
1. Poetry develops oral language.
2. Poetry develops auditory memory.
3. Poetry helps children make print connections.
4. Poetry develops phonological awareness (rhyme, rhythm, alliteration).
5. Poetry enhances fluency.
6. Poetry develops vocabulary.
7. Poetry sparks children’s interest in reading.
8. Poetry helps children fall in love with language.
Although we teach in an educational system that is skill-based, it is O.K. to include something in your curriculum just because it brings you JOY!
Say them, read them, sing them, chant them, clap them, snap them, but above all, ENJOY them!