Literacy skills play an important role in child development. From the moment your child starts blabbering, they start building on this primitive skill.
As the child progresses through life, this skill is honed and your child begins to talk, sing, read and finally write.
There is no doubt on how important these skills are. Literacy skills certainly deserve their weightage in ‘must-have’ skill set.
Having established their dominance, as a parent it is our job to hone and nurture this skill.
While there are so many academic ways to polish these skills, they are not necessarily the most entertaining. But what if you add music to literacy skills?
That is ‘the magic potion’ you should be working on. The potent mix of music with literacy skills is sure to nourish your child’s mind like nothing else. It is like an art that feeds your soul and empowers your mind.
To make this efficacious mix, all you need is Poetry. Simple, short poems for kids are well capable of delivering this efficient brain doze to your children.
Why you should read short poems to kids…
1. Literacy Advantage
We all know how powerful music is and the effect it has on human brain, especially the young brains. When you recite a poem to your child, you are introducing them to phonemic awareness.
Short poems help kids understand pitch, tone, volume and voice modulation. Thus building on their phonemic awareness, which in isolation to poetry is quite a task to develop.
Related: Learn all about the significance and benefits of Early Reading Skills and their Impact on Brain Development to give your kids a great start.
2. Vocabulary
Poems for kids work like magic. Through short and rhyming structure, poems help kids grasp new words by correlating the new words with their rhyming partners.
This greatly helps children in remembering new words and deciphering their contextual meaning also increase their vocabulary .
3. Memory Skills
The rhythmic structure of poems makes it easier for kids to remember them. Your children, when presented in a poem, can easily memorize something like days of the week.
Besides these striking advantages, poems for kids also work on their listening, comprehension and writing skills.
Simply put, simple short poems are a powerful tool to nurture your child’s brain while having fun.
With this thought in mind, we have compiled a list of 15 beautiful, inspiring and thought provoking poems.
Though some of them are not really short, but we are certain you and your children will love them. And certainly you may choose to just recite a few selected paragraphs to make them short.
Poems for Kids
1. Days of the Month: Author Anonymous
Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November;
February has twenty-eight alone.
All the rest have thirty-one,
Excepting leap-year—that’s the time
When February’s days are twenty-nine.
2. The power of ‘Trying’: Author Anonymous
T is a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again;
If at first you don’t succeed,
Try, try again;
Then your courage should appear,
For, if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear;
Try, try again.
Once or twice though you should fail,
Try, try again;
If you would at last prevail,
Try, try again;
If we strive, ’tis no disgrace
Though we do not win the race;
What should you do in the case?
Try, try again.
If you find your task is hard,
Try, try again;
Time will bring you your reward,
Try, try again.
All that other folks can do,
Why, with patience, should not you?
Only keep this rule in view:
Try, try again.
3. Love between Siblings: Author Isaac Watts
Whatever brawls disturb the street,
There should be peace at home;
Where sisters dwell and brothers meet,
Quarrels should never come.
Birds in their little nests agree;
And ’tis a shameful sight,
When children of one family
Fall out and chide and fight.
4. Bed-time : Author Emilie Poulsson
Sleep, my baby, while I sing
Bed-time news of everything.
Chickens run to mother hen;
Piggy curls up in the pen.
In the field, all tired with play,
Quiet now the lambkins stay.
Kittens cuddle in a heap—
Baby, too, must go to sleep!
5. What are you made of? : Author Robert Southey
What are little boys made of?
Frogs and snails,
And puppy-dogs’ tails;
That’s what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice,
And all that’s nice;
That’s what little girls are made of.
6. Spider and the Fly : Author Mary Howitt
“Will you walk into my parlour?” said the Spider to the Fly,
‘Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I’ve a many curious things to show when you are there.”
“Oh no, no,” said the little Fly, “to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can never come down again.”
“I’m sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?” said the Spider to the Fly.
“There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,
And if you like to rest awhile, I’ll snugly tuck you in!”
“Oh no, no,” said the little Fly, “for I’ve often heard it said,
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!”
Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, “Dear friend what can I do,
To prove the warm affection I ‘ve always felt for you?
I have within my pantry, good store of all that’s nice;
I’m sure you’re very welcome — will you please to take a slice?”
“Oh no, no,” said the little Fly, “kind Sir, that cannot be,
I’ve heard what’s in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!”
“Sweet creature!” said the Spider, “you’re witty and you’re wise,
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!
I’ve a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,
If you’ll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself.”
“I thank you, gentle sir,” she said, “for what you’re pleased to say,
And bidding you good morning now, I’ll call another day.”
The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again:
So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready, to dine upon the Fly.
Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing,
“Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple — there’s a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!”
Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue —
Thinking only of her crested head — poor foolish thing!
At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,
Within his little parlour — but she ne’er came out again!
And now dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne’er give heed:
Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly.
7. Love, Dad: Richard Burge
I never thought I could love someone
The way that I love you.
I’m completely fascinated
With everything you do.
I don’t regret a moment with you,
Whether good or bad.
You have made my life complete,
The best life a guy could have.
You might not ever notice
Everything I do,
But everything I’m doing
Is for no one else but you.
My goal in life is simple.
It’s to be your father first.
To protect, defend, and love you
When you are at your worst.
I know when you grow older
You won’t want me anymore.
If you ever need me, though,
I’ll be waiting at the door.
Promise you will come to me
With any problem that you have.
I’ll always be right here for you.
I love you both! Love, Dad
8. My best Friend, My mother: Linda S. Freeman Cooper
This woman as beautiful as can be.
She’s always been there for me.
Yeah she’s my mother, my best friend too.
Without her in my life,
I wouldn’t know what to do.
Her heart made of gold, giving love
so freely; can’t be bought or sold.
No matter who you are or what you do,
She’s there to listen and help you through.
Can’t express how great she is to me.
Without her, know not where I’d be.
No one like her, my best friend, my mother.
9. Little Things: Author Julia Fletcher carney
Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.
Thus the little minutes,
Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.
So our little errors
Lead the soul away
From the path of virtue
Far in sin to stray.
Little deeds of kindness,
Little words of love,
Help to make earth happy
Like the heaven above.
10. The Ants: Author Jane Taylor
A little black ant found a large grain of wheat
Too heavy to lift or to roll;
So he begg’d of a neighbour he happen’d to meet,
To help it down into his hole.
“I’ve got my own work to look after,” said he;
“You must shift for yourself, if you please;”
So he crawl’d off as selfish and cross as could be,
And lay down to sleep at his ease.
Just then a black brother was passing the road,
And seeing his brother in want,
Came up and assisted him in with his load,
For he was a good-natured ant.
Let all who this story may happen to hear,
Endeavour to profit by it;
For often it happens that children appear
As cross as the ant, every bit.
And the good natured ant who assisted his brother
May teach those who choose to be taught,
That if little insects are kind to each other,
Then children most certainly ought.
11. Rain Music: Author Joseph S. Cotter, Jr.
On the dusty earth-drum
Beats the falling rain;
Now a whispered murmur,
Now a louder strain.
Slender, silvery drumsticks,
On an ancient drum,
Beat the mellow music
Bidding life to come.
Chords of earth awakened,
Notes of greening spring,
Rise and fall triumphant
Over every thing.
Slender, silvery drumsticks
Beat the long tattoo–
God, the Great Musician,
Calling life anew.
12. Aim High to the Sky: James McDonald
Aim high to the sky,
In all that you do.
Because you just never know,
What it takes to be you.
Be strong and be brave,
But at the same time be kind.
And always be sure,
That you’re using your mind.
13. Laugh a Little Bit: Edmond Vance Cooke
Here’s a motto, just your fit–
Laugh a little bit.
When you think you’re trouble hit,
Laugh a little bit.
Look misfortune in the face.
Brave the beldam’s rude grimace;
Ten to one ’twill yield its place,
If you have the wit and grit
Just to laugh a little bit.
Keep your face with sunshine lit,
Laugh a little bit.
All the shadows off will flit,
If you have the grit and wit
Just to laugh a little bit.
Cherish this as sacred writ–
Laugh a little bit.
Keep it with you, sample it,
Laugh a little bit.
Little ills will sure betide you,
Fortune may not sit beside you,
Men may mock and fame deride you,
But you’ll mind them not a whit
If you laugh a little bit.
14. Free The Earth: Author Becca
Imaginary lines upon the earth
That define our borders and human worth,
But only found on paper maps.
We build our cages and set our traps.
All humans have a right to roam
To find a place and call it home.
Erase the lines and make it free
There’s plenty of room for both you and me!
15. If I was a Superhero: Sally Grey
If I was a superhero
I’d definitely fly
Arms outstretched, racing the birds in the sky
If I was a superhero
I’d have special powers
Like extra long legs, for jumping across towers
If I was a superhero
I’d all the oceans
With my secret and magical cleaning-up potions
If I was a superhero
I’d save all the trees
And the mountains and the rivers, the birds and the bees
If I was a superhero
I’d help all the poor
Give them food, and make them hungry no more
If I was a superhero
I’m sure you’ll all agree
The world would be better because of me!
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