Easy poems for kids to start their poetry journey

Easy poems for kids to start their poetry journey

Introduction

One of the first steps for children embarking on their literacy journey is undoubtedly rhyme. Every creative child’s first literary consumption or creation is usually a short poem. Kids’ poems are a natural progression, once they start reading and expanding their vocabulary.  Verse is easier and more palatable for young children than essays, whether they are reading or writing. 

Importance of Introducing Poems To Kids

Short poems for kids are invaluable to any parent/teacher, starting their child/children on their path to literacy evolution.
Easy childrens’ poems have many benefits for a child’s overall development. 

  • Boosts Language Development 

Short poems for kids help them develop their vocabulary. They are unique since they have a musical rhythm, which makes it more enjoyable for children to indulge in. Kids’ poems introduce them to new words, in different contexts. This boosts their vocabulary and helps them gain more language proficiency.

  • Encourages Creative Thinking

Poetry inspires children to express themselves. Whether they’re reading it, or making up their own verses. Rules are more relaxed with poetry, as compared to essays. This makes children more comfortable about tapping into their creative side.  

  • Improves Memory and Focus  

Easy, rhythmic children's poems can improve kids' memory. They will keep recalling the rhymes. Good poems in English also add new words to their vocabulary. Good poems in English also add new words to their vocabulary. 

  • Developing Emotional Awareness

Kids' poems let children express their feelings and feel others' emotions. This helps them develop empathy and understanding of others and their environment. 

Types of Poems for Kids to Get Started

Short poems for kids is the best way to get your child started on their cultural and literacy voyage. 

  • Nursery Rhymes

Kids poems are crucial during the period of early learning. This is when your child is beginning to develop language skills. They are your child’s first introduction to syllables and the power of rhyme. While humming in the bathtub, or lulling them to sleep. Poetry can become a constant companion for young children. 

  • Short Rhyming Poems 

These short poems for kids, help your child develop their phonemic awareness. It is the foundation for their literary growth, reading and spelling skills. 

  • Haikus for Kids

This is a Japanese form of poetry that comprises of seventeen syllables in three different lines. They are ideal for children as they are short and do not need to rhyme or pertain to any particular topic. It gives young children the freedom to express or retain a fleeting thought or emotion. 

  • Acrostic Poems 

This is a poem where the first letter of each vertical line, comes together to form a hidden word. This form of kids’ poems can be specially attractive to children, as it also has an element of play, where they get to find a hidden word. 

  • Silly or Humorous Poems 

Funny poems for kids are a great way to get them to develop their language skills. Children love an element of goofiness. Being silly is also an art form. It has a positive impact on their mental health, while also helping them understand different emotions. For example, a funny poem makes them more aware of the gravity of a serious one. 

Best Poems for Kids

There is no dearth of great  poems for children in English, that will help them boost their vocabulary and develop emotionally. There are goofy and unserious ones, as well as poems that camouflage profundity and life lessons behind the veil of humour. These will help your child on his/her journey in life.
Here are a few easy children’s poems in English you can introduce your child to. 

  1. The Crocodile by Lewis Carroll
  2. About My Dreams by Hilda Conkling
  3. Hey Diddle Diddle by Mother Goose
  4. The Star by Jane Taylor
  5. Mary’s Lamb by Sara Josepha Hale
  6. The Mulberry Bush (author unknown)
  7. Happy Thoughts by Robert Louis Stevenson
  8. Mix a Pancake by Christina Rosetti
  9. The Pied Piper of Hamlin by Robert Browning
  10. The Owl and The Pussycat by Edward Lear

Tips for Introducing Poems to Kids

You should be singing/reciting kids' poems aloud to your children as early as possible. This is possibly their first introduction to the language.
Some tips are:

  • Start with Easy Children’s Poems 

You can’t be reciting Shelley to your young children! It’s important to be age appropriate. If your child is very young, start with easy nursery rhymes. 

  • Read Aloud with Expression

are your child's first guide to verse. So, be expressive and animated. In the initial stages, your child will feed off your expressions more than your words. No deadpan behaviour is allowed here!

  • Encourage Them to Participate

Encourage your child to participate. The entire point of introducing poetry to your kids is the literary benefits.  An added advantage, is that they engage with you.  Encourage your children to recite after you and read poetry to you. Let them write, if they show interest. You could make this into an interactive bonding activity, as well. Find new favourites every week. Let them keep a poetry journal is they are inclined to. 

  • Create a Poetic Environment

Young children feed off their environment. Their immediate surroundings are their biggest educator. Create an environment at home where creativity is encouraged. You could make your own little daily rituals, such as waking up with a poem or reciting a favourite one during bath time or meal times. Encourage them to make up their own limericks, if they show an aptitude.
An environment for a child should always be encouraging towards creative expression and freedom.

Conclusion

Kids’ poems are a powerful catalyst that helps them develop language skills, vocabulary, memory, focus, and also discover their artistic or goofy side. It’s their earliest introduction to the literate world and is often one of the first factors that develop a child’s emotional intelligence. A key benefit of poems for kids is they build phonological awareness. It is the foundation for reading. Keep those rhymes coming!

FAQs on Kids’ Poems

How do I make reading poems for kids interesting and engaging? 

Create a poetry-friendly environment from the very start. First, recite rhymes to your infants. Then, encourage them to repeat and express themselves. If they want to freestyle, even better! Keep it light-hearted and age appropriate. 

 

Can reading short english poems help improve my child’s language skills?  

Yes, absolutely. Short poems for kids are usually their first introduction to literacy and language skills. The more you encourage your children to read and recite poetry, the better their vocabulary and language skills become.

Back to blog