How Do Children Learn Through Poems & Stories?

Early Learning

• Writer and literacy expert Mem Fox once wrote, "the more we talk to our kids, the brighter they'll be." From the day they are born, children begin to learn language skills. If we do not tell stories, sing songs, or just make conversation with them, they have fewer opportunities to learn. So whether it is a picture book or a daily newspaper, take the time to talk to your infant and toddler throughout each day. The benefits are not immediate, but they are real. A study published in Child Development magazine showed that children whose mothers read to them regularly at an early age showed improved cognitive development and language comprehension by age two.

Academic Benefits

• As a child matures, reading stories, nursery rhymes and poems remains important. Reading to your toddler or school-age child at home will not only improve their early language development, it will improve reading skills for a lifetime. Studies by Lomax and Neuman show that children who are read to at home also read more on their own. In his research, Stephen Krashen proves further that "reading is the only way we become good readers, develop a good writing style, an adequate vocabulary, advanced grammar, and the only way we become good spellers." The best way to become a good reader is to read.

Personal Benefits

• Beyond academics, reading has a positive effect on children's imagination and family relationships. Reading stories and poems encourages use of a child's imagination. "Imagination is not a luxury, but a need that every child has," as Linda Fredericks wrote. Recent studies have shown that children who lack imagination are more prone to school failure and violence. Fredericks insists that imagination can help them throughout their lives to see new, more suitable solutions to their problems.
  Unlike TV shows or video games, reading or telling stories also has a tendency to bring a family together. Parents who tell their children stories spend more time with them, discuss stories with them, and learn to solve problems with them. Children's librarian and book editor Betsy Hearne said, "Children's books can offer any family a humane counterbalance to time-clock living, a chance to pause and take a fresh look at each other."

Tips For Pre-Readers

• There are a few easy ways to help your child become a lifetime reader. Provide an abundance of reading materials. Picture books, magazines, comics, informational books, and poetry books all count. Take your children to the library, where there is even more selection. Have fun reading together. Reading is not a chore, it is a wonderful adventure with your child. Also, set a good example for your children by sitting down and reading adult books on a regular basis. If you read, they will see reading as a worthwhile activity and be more likely to do it themselves.

Additional Tips

• When she does learn to read on her own, let your child choose the books. Don't try to force classic novels on her or the book you loved as a child. If they are allowed pursue their own interests, they are much more likely to continue reading. Finally, don't force your child to complete workbooks or phonics programs if he is not interested. Reading should be a fun, engaging activity, not a dreaded chore. Use the resources all around you. Often a teacher, children's librarian or children's literature book can suggest good books you may not have come across on your own.