Booklist: Books with Poems & Rhymes for Shared Reading with Children
Use poetry and song lyrics to introduce your child to the interesting sounds in language. Explore poetry pieces and nursery rhymes with alliteration, rhyming couplets, and onomatopoeia.
For older children who enjoy structure, patterns, and math try sonnets with iambic pentameter and haikus.
Some children find poems where the printed text falls into artistic shapes that reflect the content of the poem interesting. Children who enjoy graphic novels where the text is part of the artwork find this type of poem appealing.
With so many variations and styles across so many topics, there is a form of poetry that will interest your child. Poetry is the sound bite of language. Snippets of poetry can convey intense emotions and is a fantastic platform for exploring feelings, words, and how to express one’s self.
Before Shared Reading
Children understand more words that they hear than they express or speak. Sharing poems with your child will help them develop their listening-comprehension skills as well as their vocabulary.
Try and read the poem out loud to yourself, in order to find the words you want to emphasize and to adjust to the flow of the words. Before reading, talk to your child about any special words. Point out that word(s) and clarify the meaning in a way that your child can understand if it is a new word. For older children, spend a few moments looking up the new word(s) in a children’s dictionary.
During Shared Reading
During the reading, ask your child to let you know when they hear the word or have them touch the word on the page if they recognize it. Provide positive feedback, when your child recognizes the new word(s) and remind them of the definition of the new word within the context of the poem.
After Shared Reading
Celebrate a Poem in Your Pocket day by creating a no -sew fabric poem book: Using fabric markers and light colored bandannas or handkerchiefs or pre-cut quilting squares (hemmed with iron-on interfacing), decorate the cloth with the words of your child’s favorite nursery rhymes, song lyrics or poems. Do one cloth a day for a week, letting your child keep the poem “page”in their pocket to “read” throughout the day. At the end of the week turn the poem cloth squares into a book with a simple binding of safety pins hot glued shut to prevent any accidents.
Write a poem together using poem pebbles. Brainstorm a list of favorite words – nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. Using a permanent marker write a single word on a pebble. Pile all of the pebbles together, then create a poem using your word pebbles to build starter phrases. You can do a variation of this activity using sticky notes or index cards for even more words. For older children, use a rhyming dictionary to create a list of interesting words, for example, see Merriam-Webster’s Rhyming Dictionary.
Booklist: Books with Poems & Rhymes for Shared Reading with Children
Goodnight Songs
Lullabies by Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrated by 12 Award Winning Picture Book Artists
Picture Book, Ages 3 – 6
A treasure literally uncovered in a barn, these lullabies by the author of Good Night Moon and other classic children’s books are presented with the artwork unique to each piece by different illustrators. Read one lullaby before bedtime as a part of your night time routine.
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children
Selected by Jack Prelutsky
Pictures by Arnold Lobel
Illustrated Book, All Ages
With 575 poems to choose from there will be a poem, that appeals to your child’s taste in this selection. In addition, there are plenty of poems to experiment with in terms of style and topics.
Little Poems for Tiny Ears
Poems by Lin Oliver
Pictures by Tomie dePaola
Board Book, Babies and Toddlers
Specifically for babies and toddlers, these poems are simple explorations into the sounds of language on topics familiar to tiny people.
Poetry for Kids: Robert Frost
Poems by Robert Frost
Edited by Jay Parini
Pictures by Michael Paraskevas
Illustrated Book, Ages 9 – 12
Each poem is featured on its own colored spread. Also see in the Poetry for Kids series, Emily Dickinson and William Shakespeare
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Poems and Pictures by Shel Silverstein
Illustrated Book, All Ages
One of the classics of modern childhood, this book was the first exploration in to poetry in elementary schools for several generations. This anniversary edition, includes an update with 12 extra poems. Also see by the same author, A Light in the Attic
Science Verse
Poems by Jon Scieszka
Pictures by Lane Smith
Picture Book, Ages 7 – 11
Science and poetry find a happy mix in this delightful collection of science themed works. Also see Math Curse and Grapes of Math
I’m Just No Good at Rhyming and Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-ups
Words by Chris Harris
Pictures by Lane Smith
Illustrated Book, Ages 7 – 11
Laugh out loud poems filled with exuberance and zany wit. This collection is on numerous award and best of lists. You are sure to find something to tickle the funny bone. These are great to read out loud if you can keep from laughing while reading at the same time.