Who said that poetry is not for children? They listen to her since they are babies in babysitters and children's songs and the musicality of rhymes quickly captures her attention. Many puns are based on poetic resources and when they grow up, many children are encouraged to create their own compositions.
Reading, reciting and memorizing poems has countless benefits for children and Almudena Palacios, teacher, educator in Positive Discipline, expert in the Montessori method and founder of the web Living Montessori, has told us about them.
Stimulates emotional and cognitive development
Poetry is a literary genre that it makes us feel and get excitedWell, it is not enough to read poems in a linear way, but you need help with gestures, mimicry, intonation, cadence of the voice ... to give it a greater meaning.
For Almudena, poetry is "essential during the learning and life of any person", because it helps to express feelings and stimulate children's emotional development.
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The language used in the literary genre of poetry It is usually more complex and elaborate than in stories, so reading or listening to poetry, children will enhance their language and acquire new communication skills.
In this sense, the boy who reads poetry develop greater phonological awareness, that is to say, it will begin to realize the units in which speech is divided, as well as its pronunciation, trying to improve those words that it does not pronounce well yet.
But it is not necessary to wait for our children to know how to read or understand perfectly what we read, since reading to our baby, although he cannot understand us, also has important benefits related, among others, with the acquisition of language.
Increase vocabulary
And in line with the above, read poetry (although in general, it also applies to any other literary genre) help children expand their vocabulary, both expressive and comprehensive in a simple and playful way.
In addition, through rhymes children learn how to combine sounds to form words and phrases, begin to understand the rhythm of the language and gradually enter the world of literacy.
Reciting poetry improves diction
Reciting poetry helps children to improve your verbal expression and diction, since pronunciation plays a fundamental role in not losing the grace and essence of the rhyme.
On the other hand, to read or recite poetry correctly you also have to be aware of the importance of pauses, breathing and the cadence of each sentence. And all this they will learn and work as they go into the wonderful world of poetry.
Reciting poetry helps body expression
Physical expressiveness is part of the social skills and communication capacity of children since birth, although it develops with age. There are many games we can do with children to stimulate the development of their body expression, and encourage them to recite poetry is one of them.
Recite poems help children connect with their own body, contributing to improve their coordination and motor capacity. And the music and rhythm of the verses favors body expression and freedom of movement when reading or reciting.
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But through poetry, the child will also know the world around himWell, generally, poems are usually focused on specific aspects or activities of daily life.
Thus, poetry can be an excellent resource for working values such as friendship, love, empathy, happiness ... In addition, reading can be of great help to address specific issues that concern the child or situations that are complex.
Promotes memorization
Memory accompanies us since we were born and is developing throughout our life, becoming a fundamental tool in our day to day. That is why it is so important to exercise it daily and stimulate it in children properly so that they achieve agility that helps them, not only throughout their academic stage, but also throughout their lives.
In this sense, reading or listening to a poem several times will make children end up memorizing it almost without realizing it, because the musicality and rhymes of the verses, as well as its short and simple phrases allow to exercise the memory with great ease.
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Psychopedagogues, educators and pediatricians agree that reading helps children to develop your mind and stimulate your imagination and creativity.
As the child grows, we can choose poems appropriate to his level of understanding and mastery of language, and through reading or listening we will get his imagination to fly, daydream and recreate the verses in his mind.
The promotion of imagination in children brings them great benefits for their development: it broadens the notion of their world, promotes laughter and happiness, and favors their psychic well-being. In addition, children's imagination has no limits and is a fascinating window to their inner world.
They learn to appreciate music
Rhythmic structures awaken in the child different sensations in front of the words, because different nuances appear to those we usually find in stories, such as rhythm, loudness, coincidence of phenomena, musicality ...
And it is that poetry and music go hand in hand!, hence children like it so much since they are young, because the repetition of sounds gives them security while contributing to creating attention patterns.
Power artistic learning
And in line with the previous point, it should be noted that poetry entails rhythm, music, dramatization, interpretation, memorization... that is, an endless number of artistic connotations that bring great benefits to children, both in their academic and social development.
"As a mother and teacher I have used the poems in various daily situations, both to learn and to enjoy a playful time, accompanied by dramatization and costumes. But also poetry has helped me to deal with children more delicate or sad moments" - Almudena shares.
In Babies and more, seven infallible keys to fond children of art (now that their minds are wonderful)Invite relaxation
Almudena explains that the musicality of the versesWhen we read poetry to children, it invites relaxation, so it is advisable to enjoy reading a poem before our children go to bed, although in general any time of day is good for it.
We can cover their eyes to relax while we read them, and even accompany the reading of ambient music with sounds of nature, such as sea waves or raindrops. That moment together will be a real pleasure, both for the child and for the adult to accompany him "- advises the expert.
Promotes a taste for reading
As usual, the poems are usually short and agile in their reading, so reading them to our children since they are young can be a good way to start instilling in them the habit and love for books.
Other aspects of rhyme, such as musicality, pun and rhythm, make poetry one of the best resources to encourage the reading pleasure of the little ones.
In Babies and more Five ideas for your children to love to readStrengthens the father / mother and son bond
Shared reading favors and generates a strong emotional bond between parents and children, based on the pleasure of accompanying them while making their own discoveries and, above all, of spending time together enjoying a common activity.
"Reading poetry with our children strengthens the emotional bond. For example, mom or dad may be reciting the poem and the child drawing or scribbling what he feels when he hears it" - Almudena advises.
In addition, we must not forget that reading is one more way to play with our children, to spend time and create unforgettable memories of his childhood. Therefore, let's read poetry, interpret, act and enjoy with them!
Photos | istock, pixabay
Acknowledgments | Almudena Palacios, Living Montessori
