While poetry may appear to be insignificant in the life of the average adult, it is a form of writing that has many advantages when children are the primary audience. Reading childrens poems may be an excellent way to cultivate certain life skills, such as recognizing rhymes, learning rhythm, and being able to differentiate pitch. It is also a great way to get children into reading, writing, and perhaps even singing.

Nursery rhymes are probably the earliest form of children's poetry. They have been around since the 1700's. The earliest nursery rhymes were lullabies, which were originally intended to help children fall sleep, hence the name.

Nursery rhymes developed distinctive melodic lines over the years, and were also used as historical references. "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" referenced the wool tax and the slave trade in mid 18th century Britain. "London Bridge is Falling Down" referenced the sacking and pillaging that the Vikings left behind. "Ring Around the Rosie" was a lighthearted euphemism for the Black Plague. Nursery rhymes like these were easily memorized and sung because they had simple melodies, rhymed, and were short.

Repetition and speech is what children learn from the fastest. Singing, speaking, writing, and reading continuously help children develop language skills. Children with a lot of exposure to reading and speaking tend to have superior language comprehension capabilities and accelerated cognitive development by age 3. Poetry and nursery rhymes can teach all of these skills to a child.

Take for example, the well-known nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie". All of its syllables are in rhythm with the song's beat, and it has a rhyme in every one of its lines. Little poetry pieces such as these could easily teach a child reading, singing, and attentive listening while keeping the energy level up. Children who are talented at music, reading, and spatial reasoning were most likely raised listening to nursery rhymes and reading poetry.

Poems work so well at improving cognitive development because children enjoy poetry. It is important that the work is short in order to compensate for the lack of focus kids tend to have. Visual stimulation from a funny picture also tends to help. Children would probably find it boring to sit though an entire narrative. So today's poetry for children is focused primarily on entertaining children while accelerating their cognitive capabilities. Works by poets like Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein come to mind. Short poetry with humorous illustrations would be a lot more stimulating and fun to a child than would a long, arduous novel.

Poems can be seen as the first step to an educated future. If a child develops a love for poetry, he or she will most likely go onto books and novels. These will in turn lead to better vocabulary, a good writing style, and excellent conversational skills. Gaining an interest in poetry is most likely the easiest way to begin such a lifestyle.

But aside from academics, reading poetry has personal benefits as well. It keeps children entertained and it promotes the use of their imagination. Studies show that imagination and creativity keep children away from academic and social delinquency. Also, a creative mind would help in adolescence and adulthood by exploring unconventional solutions to life's problems.

Reading childrens poems appears to be such a menial task, but it does a surprising amount of good for children. Nursery rhymes and poems are utilized even today to teach children how to read and speak. Perhaps reading poetry before bedtime every night is one of the best things a parent can to for a child.