HELPING CHILDREN WITH LITERACY

THE IMPORTANCE OF RHYTHMIC AND RHYMING POETRY

By Josie Whitehead

www.whiteheadm.co.uk

Josie Whitehead is a retired teacher who has written hundreds of children’s rhyming poems and, at the request of children in her local primary school, has made them freely available on her own internet website.  What makes them especially valuable is that she has added her own clear voice recording to the poems, to help the children with their reading.  There are games and quizzes for the children and craft activities, and also articles and lesson plans for teachers and parents.  This poetry website was made in 2006 and was an immediate success, highlighted by leading educational and children’s websites.  Now it has found great favour with students of English as a second language, because they too find that what you read in English is not necessarily what you say, and reading and listening at the same time is a wonderful literacy tool. 

READ. TALK AND LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD

Even before your child starts school you can do so much to help them with literacy.  Although the life of a parent is often hectic, you should try to read with your child at least once a day at a regularly scheduled time, if possible. This may not always be possible, so don’t be discouraged if you miss a day, or you can’t keep to the scheduled time.  Just read to your child as often as you possibly can. Children love to hear their parents’ voices and they are familiar with them before they are even born because we are told that they can hear them when they are still in the womb. It is also important that you give children time to use their language for themselves, whilst you correct any mispronunciations and help them.  Listen to what they are trying to say and help them to say it.

FILL THEIR DAYS WITH RHYME AND RHYTHM

Stimulate them with songs, poems, books with pictures. Fill their days with rhyme and rhythm using the simplicity of nursery rhymes from an early age.  Even rhymes which seem to have no relevance to their day to day activities still bring fun.  Do you remember nursery rhymes such as: “Three Blind Mice”? “Mary, Mary Quite Contrary?” “Little Miss Muffet”?  Have you examined these poems and asked yourself why children like such absurd rhymes? They like the sound of the rhyming words and they love the rhythm that accompanies them.  They may not know what a “tuffet” is – and you probably don’t either, but they like the sound of the word because it rhymes with “Muffet”.  Then ask yourself this question:   Nursery rhymes appeal to children because they love their repetition and their silliness. The rhythm of the lines is soothing to a young mind and that is why rhythmic rhymes can help children to get off to sleep at night.

This love of words that rhyme and the love of rhythm is still important to children as they start school and learn to read. Poetry is so important in language development because rhyming words help children to remember new words.  Children will pay attention to the sounds of the words. Good rhythm in poems is important to children because children will pay attention to the different sounds and syllables that make up the words. This is called “phonemic awareness” and is a necessary literacy skill.

 TEACHING RHYTHM

Children will have to learn about rhythm in poetry at school. It is a necessary part of the National Curriculum. You can involve them in this in a very simple way and at an early age. Get the children to clap their hands when you come to strong rhythms in poetry. Here is an example from one of my poems which has a particular good rhythm and, in fact is called “Just Listen to That Rhythm”:   

 The refrain goes:

                          Tick Tock (1 clap)
                          Tick Tock (1 clap)
                          Military (1 clap)
                          Precision (1 clap)

                          Tick Tock (1 clap)
                          Tick Tock (1 clap)
                          Just listen to (1 clap)
                          that rhythm (1 clap)

This is just one example, but many of my poems are written with the same strong rhythm.

PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING

Everyone knows that what we hear in English is not necessarily what we spell.  Or, to put it another way, words that are often spelt alike are not pronounced in the same way:  eg:  though; cough; bough; dough; through – and so on.  When a child sees and hears a word at the same time, they will probably remember the spelling, and if it is reinforced three times over, they certainly will remember it.  So I have added my voice recording to every poem I have written on my website, at the request of local children, who pointed out the difficulties with pronunciation and spelling when it comes to reading the English language.

FINALLY

Children love meeting the writers of the poems they love.  I have made it possible to visit children all over the world via Skype.  I already visit local children in their classrooms, libraries, literature festivals etc.  Now children can have a visit from me at their school, birthday parties etc as long as they are connected to Skype.  (See my website for details).