Children's Laureate Michael Rosen recently bemoaned the decrease in the number of poetry books being published and the 'freezing out' of poetry in primary schools. He called for a specific poetry curriculum and the reintroduction of poems in classrooms and assemblies, as well as in books.
It is never too early to bring poetry into children's lives. The basic elements of rhythm and rhyme are, of course, already there in nursery rhymes and many of the simple story texts that children enjoy. It is the familiar beat, together with the richness of language and easy-to-learn choruses, that help children develop a passion for words and take their first steps towards learning to read.
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