EDUCATION
Poetry in Primary Education
Poetry can be an invaluable tool in primary education. It allows the child to play with words, to have fun with them, and to think of them much more dynamically than other forms of literature allow. Poetry can be something very meaningful and individual. But it can also be something very social, something a child can read aloud or share. There are numerous benefits to introducing a child to poetry, some of which I will list below:
In basic Language structures…
Poetry helps build phonemic and syllabic awareness while also having the potential to enhance the child’s alphabetic principle, vocabulary, fluency, self-expression, and writing skills.
In the comprehension of language…
Introducing a child to poetry at an early age could significantly enhance a child’s reading capabilities and comprehension.
In how a child understands and uses language…
Poetry demands a much greater attention to detail than most other writing forms. It encourages the child to think about brevity and precision, especially when the poem has a set structure, like a Haiku or Tanka. It can also introduce them to abstraction via the many different poetic effects like metaphor or simile.
