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Spring has sprung, the grass iz riz,
I wonder where da boidies iz?
Da boid iz on da wing! Ain’t that absoid?
I always hoid da wing...wuz on da boid!
- anonymous Brooklynite
The seeds of literacy lie in language. And what better way to support your young learner’s budding literacy skills than to have fun with words – to celebrate them for how they sound, the way they feel when we say them, and the images they conjure.
Reading poetry teaches young readers about sound – about voice, pitch, volume and inflection. While these are mainly functions of speech, they're also incredibly important for children learning to read. Exploring the speech patterns in poetry can also give children great cues to the words on a page.
The poet and author Shel Silverstein has been beloved among children and parents for decades. Each page in any of his classic anthologies* pops with whimsical black and white simple line illustrations combined paired with hilarious (and often profound) poems that introduce you to characters who may just become great friends to you and your child. You’ll learn about the perils of Screamin’ Mllie who literally screams her head off. Or Mister Moody whose perpetual frown cleverly changes into a smile when turned upside down, or does it? Or the Nap Taker who tells us
No – I did not take a nap
The nap – took – me
Off the bed and out the window
Far beyond the sea,
To a land where sleepy heads
Read only comic books
And lock their naps in iron safes
So that they can’t get took.
So if you haven’t already discovered the power of poetry to scaffold your child’s growing literacy, give it a try – and if your supply runs out you can always write your own!
*Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up, are just three of the many books penned by Shel Silverstein.
