Poetry

In contrast to the attitude many adults take toward poetry, young children are wonderfully receptive to the form. The lyrical and rhythmic elements naturally appeal to them. Plus, exposure to rhyming words and a rich vocabulary is immensely helpful for developing reading skills.

To help foster a love of poetry, cultivate a daily or weekly family ritual. Center your reading around afternoon “teatime” (no tea required!) or bedtime. Or just read a single poem to kids each morning or night while they bathe or brush their teeth. Any way you manage it, you’ll be strengthening family bonds and nurturing a love of poetry with each session. And they’re never too young to start!

Here are books of poetry new and old, on topics ranging from animals and nature, to the silly, whacky and even mundane. Some are by a single author, like Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic A Child’s Garden of Verses; many are anthologies, offering a ton of bang for buck.