10 Tips for Using Poetry with Challenged Readers via Literacy Nest

10 Tips for Using Poetry with Challenged Readers

Literacy Nest: 5.10.2020

When someone says poetry, my immediate image is classical poetry forms such as sonnets. But I also have fond memories of reading Shel Silverstein poems or writing structured poetry forms like haiku when I was a child. Often, poetry is not one of the things people think of when they think of challenged readers. However, there are many benefits to using poetry with your students that may struggle with reading and writing.

What Are The Benefits of Poetry?

➧ Poetry is full of rhyme, rhythm and alliteration. These are key elements of phonological awareness.

➧ Many poems also lend themselves to the exploration of individual phonemes and help to build phonemic awareness.

➧ Poetry is meant to be performed. For students, this means that listening to poetry allows them to build listening comprehension skills and enjoy how the authors play with language.

It also means that reading poetry is great for readers theater and paired choral reading.

➧ Visually, the text of poetry is less overwhelming. There is more white space. For many students, this translates to less pressure.

➧ Poetry is also full of both visual and language patterns.

➧ Since poetry is generally short, it lends itself to working on fluent reading with repeated reading.

➧ Not only does this build fluency, but it also builds confidence.

➧ Writing poetry that follows certain structures can help reluctant writers express themselves and write something truly beautiful.

Poetry has oral language benefits as well. Poetry often uses playful language and uses language in nonliteral ways. Children’s poetry in particular is often designed to tickle your funny bone. Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky both have a good grasp of children’s senses of humor. In addition to the language benefits, poetry has social and emotional value as well. Reading poetry helps build an appreciation and understanding of other people’s feelings. Writing poetry helps students express and communicate their own feelings.

There are so many benefits to using poetry with your challenged readers. I’ve answered the question of why to use poetry. The bigger question is HOW to use poetry with your struggling readers?

Here are some concrete tips for putting poetry into action with your students so that they can experience the benefits of poetry:

1. Start with funny poems.

Even self-professed haters of poetry will enjoy funny and silly poems.

2. Engage in lots of rereading.

Our world tends to gobble up information and text and children and many adults approach reading with that same speed and desire to consume text quickly. But, poetry, perhaps more than any other literary form is meant to be savored.

3. Find poems that relate to content.

Finding a poem about something you are studying in social or social studies gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

4. Use poetry to practice a particular phonics or grammar skill.

There is a poem for almost every purpose you can think of. There are even collections of poems written to target specific phonograms.

5. Perform!

Find poems your students really love and want to perform with another classmate.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on (7) readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)