The Importance of Songs, Poems, and Rhymes in the Classroom

f any of you have searched the websites of teachers or teaching websites (especially those of preschool, kindergarten, or primary grades) you have probably noticed that most of these sites feature renditions of popular chants, rhymes, and songs.

These writings add new words to old favorites to fit a particular theme or time of year. For example you may see "The Ten Little Indians" changed to "The Ten Little Turkeys". For each unit or thematic focus, I try to have at least two or three of these remakes. The key is to have a tune that children already know and can easily recognize and spice it up with new words and movements.

Children absolutely love them! The funnier they are or the movement they have, the more the children like them. They especially enjoy it when the poem or rhyme contains words that can be shouted or said in a different voice.

So why do teachers spend time rewriting verses for their students?

Singing songs and reading poems with children helps expose students to various types of genre. Most children have books at home. Many parents, thankfully, read to their children. However, rhymes, poems, and songs are not as common at home.

In addition to reading these with children, it is also important to write them down. I use a large piece of chart paper and copy each poem that I plan to use with my students.

The purpose of not only saying the words but also having them writing down is to help children relate spoken words to written text. Children can learn a lot by how a verse is written and where the poem is divided.

Children can hear and see the rhyme patterns, rhyming words, and rhythms. Children an also hear these as the poem is read.