Nine Reasons to Add Poetry to your Homeschool Rhythms

And FREE resources to get you started

In conversations with Homeschool Parents About including poetry in homeschool rhythms

They usually respond they can’t:

• Find the time
• See why they need it
• Feel intimidated (because poetry is for People who Know Stuff)

When it comes to schedules, as a retired classroom teacher, I know how difficult it can be to squeeze in all the creative content we think we should be covering in a day. Constraints and schedules are real. And interruptions. Oy, the interruptions. Most often my carefully crafted (the Sunday night before) lesson plans were but a misty memory by 10:18 am the following Monday morning.

Homeschool schedules can be crammed, too, especially with a large family. And well, the ahem, interruptions even with one child (thinking of a particular grandgirl pictured above) can make you tear your hair out. How can I add one more thing to what I’m supposed to be covering?!

15 Minutes Can Make a Difference!

You would be surprised what a difference even 15 minutes a week can make by introducing your children (and you!) to poetry. And if you adopt seem of these practices you, too, will Know Stuff about poetry. Win-Win.

Here are 9 Reasons to Include Poetry in your Homeschool Rhythms:

The first THREE REASONS

Kids who read poetry–

• Learn to attend & listen better
• Are more engaged readers
• Have the foundation needed to write poems of their own

So where to begin, especially with time constraints and interruptions? Start small

Take 5: Find 5 minutes each day to read a poem out loud at breakfast or during family Bible Time. 5 Minutes Plus?–Challenge your kids to recite a weekly poem while riding in the car. ‘Cause goodness knows you’re definitely spending time in the car, right? Especially the Nanas & Grandpas–throw in some poetry!

Take 15: A fifteen minute reading and listening lesson even once a week can whet your child’s appetite and help them make friends with poetry. I have free Resources to help with that, so be sure to read to the end of this post!

Besides the learning benefits, here are THREE more REASONS to include poetry in your Homeschool Rhythms:

Reading (and listening to) poems….

1. Hones our ears for language and new vocabulary
2. Helps us learn to read and think metaphorically (like in Jesus’ Parables)
3. Requires careful attention, inviting us to slow down, look and listen

But not reading just any poems.

As a poetry reader, my choices are informed by two things–the work of Christian or faith-focused poets and what I consider good poems. (Please note, my assessment of what makes a poem good is entirely subjective. More on that in a bit.)

So what do I mean by ‘Christian’ poets? I do not necessarily mean people who write only poems that feature biblically-centered, gospel-oriented content. A poem doesn’t have to use the name of Jesus or a Bible story verse to be Christian poetry.

Christian poets are writers whose work brings glory to God through their ingenuity and creativity and point people in the direction of our Creator, even if, and often without, mentioning the name of God.

“Most men glorify God by doing to his glory things which, though not per se acts of glorification, become so by being offered to him.” -C.S. Lewis

And what makes a poem “Good” ? An entirely biased opinion.

The thing you write (or talk) about should point to God in some way.
-Junius Johnson, C.S. Lewis Writer’s Conference, 2024

1. A good poem points to God in some way, offering a window to see Him through the writer’s vivid, descriptive language. A good poem also invites the reader to look up in gratitude, hope or wonder.

2. A good poem provides a connection between poet and reader through evocative images or by eliciting strong emotions. Images and ideas resonate with us and we are moved, causing us to respond with, “Wow, I see that/feel that/think that too.”  Or, “those words perfectly describe the feel of autumn or the look of a sunset or___________” (fill in the blank), and we are inspired.

3. Besides offering inspiration or a connection, a good poem often provides ways to generate a poem of our own, becoming a springboard for original work.

For instance, you might read these familiar lines of Emily Dickinson’s,

“There is no Frigate like a Book

To take us Lands away….” **

And be inspired to write your own phrases….

”There is no ______________ like a _________ /

to take us _________________  ____________.”

and a poem will unfold from your pen.

THREE MORE REASONS to include teaching poetry in your homeschool rhythms:

1. To learn new vocabulary. The best poems are those that send you to the dictionary on a word hunt, adding richness to our conversations and our writing.

2. To learn Form and Sound

• FORM—There are two basic forms of poetry–Free verse and Rhyme or Meter

When reading free verse, consider how the poem appears on the page.

• What do you notice? Are the line endings even-ish and pleasing to the eyes?
• What about the end words? Are they strong verbs or adjectives?
• Where does the writer place the turn that moves the reader along to the next line, the words that pull you along to the next verse?
  Note: The word ‘verse’ is from the Latin word ‘vertere’ meaning ‘to turn.’

Reading poems in rhyme and meter offer the discovery of not just end rhymes but cadence or rhythm.

• Notice the pattern of your voice as you read, the ups and downs, the syllables and sound. Is there a ‘beat’ to the poem?

• SOUND—A poem comes alive when it is read! Hearing a poem read (or reading out loud to yourself) is the best way to experience it.

• Notice as you read–out loud is best! How do the words feel in your mouth when you say them? What sound do they make as they trip over your tongue? Where do you hear the rhymes?

3. Learn Poetic Devices like musicality, onomatopoeia and metaphors.

• Musicality has to do with sound, syllable, rhythm and rhyme in a poem, as mentioned above

• Onomatopoeia is the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named, i.e. ‘sizzle’ and ‘cuckoo.’

• Metaphors are words that act as a bridge from a physical object to an abstract idea or emotion. Words like shell or bead or boat or branch become containers to hold images and ideas. Jesus used metaphors all the time in His teachings, both in the way He described Himself—the Bread of Life, the Door—and so on, but also in the Parables.

Now you have 9 REASONS to use Poetry in your Home School rhythms:

• 3 Things Poetry Does
• 3 Things that make a poem ‘Good’
• 3 Poetic Devices to learn

Friend, you’ve just made friends with poetry (if you weren’t already introduced.)

Want more ideas, lessons and how-to’s? You can access my FREE poetry RESOURCE LIBRARY by clicking the button below. You’ll find the above Nine Reasons lesson as a downloadable PDF.

• OTHER FREE RESOURCES:
• Poetry 101 Starter Kit, a 12-page resource which includes lessons for kids from ages 5-8 to Middle School and High School
• How to Write a Poem with Pictures (aka Art Journaling)
• How to use ‘Jabberwocky’ for reading, grammar & vocabulary
• How to use ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ to write a rhyming poem
• A list of the 10 best poetry collections for children
  
  All Resources are organized using the rubric below for home or classroom. Please note: Age does not always equal grade level & vice-versa.

I hope you have fun meeting poetry!