Poetry with a 4 yo.

Well, you could click on the title to see the description in the CM Bookfinder, but that would take a long time, come to think of it, if you had to click each one! I’ll go add a little “(poetry)” identifier beside the poetry titles. Thanks for mentioning this.

In the meantime, here are the poetry titles from that Early Years Book List:

3-year-old: Little Book of Poems

4-year-old: When We Were Very Young (Milne poetry, Winnie-the-Pooh author)

5-year-old: Now We Are Six (also Milne poetry)

I’m sure others have more ideas for poetry for the early years.

I would love to hear other suggestions too.  We have read through Mother Goose and both AA Milne books.  I plan to use A Child’s Garden of Verses next year.  I have a 5 year old.

I have several titles we have used often.  With young children, don’t be afraid to read the poems you find over and over.  Just because you’ve “done” a poem or a book, young children like to hear their favorites again.

We like:  Favorite Poems of Childhood, ed. Philip Smith, Dover

Poems to Read to the Very Young (a Sonlight choice) ed. Josette Frank,

The Children’s Classic Poetry Collection, ed. Nicola Baxter

are three that we have.  I also have simply ranged through large collections like Favorite Poems Old and New, and any of the Poetry for Young People series–some will be attractive to young children, and some might not.  I’d just wander through and pick and choose. 

Young children love to have some stability and repetition; a good thing is for Mommy to learn a number of poems, and then keep them around.  We had poems for saying at bedtime and in the morning and at lunch and when we saw a butterfly and when we found a snake and when it started to rain, etc.  🙂  It’s pretty cute to have an excited 3 or 4yo come running in for the “butterfly poem” because he saw a butterfly. 

I know it’s been 4 days and, jpkr, your question has probably already been answered, but I thought I’d throw out this: A Child’s Garden of Verses is great for young kids. Mine are 4 and 5, and have already memorized “The Swing” and “The Cow.” I was so surprised that they were able to do that! Anyway, just thought that might encourage you if you want your 4yo to memorize poetry too!