Why use poems?
Poems and songs with rhyme, rhythm, and repetition foster the language skills that lead to reading.
“Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight
nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the
best readers by the time they’re eight.”
[Fox, M. (2001). Reading Magic. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.]
Poems help readers build fluency. Reading poems improves phrasing and expression.
The language and topics of poetry encourage creativity, and provide opportunities to build more descriptive vocabulary.