How to Teach Poetry Writing to a Child

Poetry is the language of the soul, but all too often it produces groans from people who see poems as some type of secret language. Introduce poetry to children early to encourage an appreciation for poems and craft of writing them. Follow these steps for teaching poetry writing to kids.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Read poetry to children. Show kids that poetry can be funny, sad, silly or mad. Dr. Seuss demonstrates that made-up words can be poetry. Young children favor Shel Silverstein's books of poems.
2. Play rhyming and rhythm games with kids. Nursery rhymes often are the first poems people learn. Teach young children about rhythmic patterns by having them clap hands and stomp feet along with the poem; it's noisy, but effective. Ask older kids to stomp out a haiku pattern of 5-7-5.
3. Look for ideas all around you. Children frequently complain that they don't know what to write about. Give prompts by asking kids to list their three favorite things, and then write poems about them. Let student volunteers suggest a new poem topic every day.
4. Introduce figures of speech with similes. Give examples of similes by comparing two things using "like" or "as." Show similes in poems. Kids probably need some direction in writing their own similes at first. Choose two things they can compare.
5. Listen to music. Older children catch the poetry bug when they realize that song lyrics are like poems set to music. Look at the lyrics of popular songs, especially hip hop, for some examples. Challenge kids to sing poems they write.
6. Encourage children to explore feelings through writing poetry. Poetry provides a safe, creative outlet to describe churning emotions. Ask a group of children to write about a specific emotion, and they may find they aren't alone in their feelings.

Tips & Warnings

• Take advantage of National Poetry Month in April. Check on poetry programs offered by public libraries and schools.