Sparking Young Imaginations on National Poetry Day.
Each October, our tutors and children come together to celebrate National Poetry Day. Poems are a powerful tool for our tutors to use in our Literacy Lab and Reading Lab sessions. Their rhyme, rhythm, and repetition help children hear patterns in words, strengthening reading and spelling skills. Reading or performing them aloud builds fluency and self-expression, while writing simple verses helps children experiment with language in a manageable way, and memorising poems builds confidence and encourages creativity. Poems also spark discussion and connect with emotions and experiences, deepening comprehension.
This year, poet James Carter joined The Children’s Literacy Charity with a special reading from his book A Ticket to Kalamazoo!, illustrated by Neal Layton. This is one of our favourite books, which our tutors use in Literacy Labs to bring poetry to life.
At Mauldeth Road Primary School in Withington tutor Andrea said:
“We have had a lovely day reading poems and acting out The Terrible Ten. The children loved acting out the actions. They chose an animal each to act whilst we took photos for a display.”
