National Poetry Day. Celebrate it!

Celebrating Poems and Poetry

National Poetry Day is a celebration of poetry and its power to bring people together. It is an opportunity to discover new poets and poems, and to share your favourites with others.

Poems are an important part of primary school children's education. They help to develop language and literacy skills, and can also be a fun way to learn about other subjects such as history or science.

Here are my top picks for children's favourite poets!

 "I'd Like to be a Poet!"

Thoughts of a frustrated, wannabe poet!!

Three of the best poets and poems for primary school children.

Some of the most popular poets include Michael Rosen, Julia Donaldson and Roger McGough.  There are, of course, many fantastic poets who have produced wonderful poems for children, but these three are among my personal favourites! 

Shows a head shot of Michael Rosen, poet Michael is a mature man with brownish grey hair and a short grey beard he is wearing a sweater over a shirt

Michael Rosen

Probably best known for his much loved book 'We’re Going on a Bear Hunt' , but he also has a YouTube channel full of poems and stories! Kids’ Poems and Stories with Michael Rosen.’ A fantastic resource for teachers looking for great poems for children.

His poems are popular with kids because they are funny, relatable and easy to understand. 'Chocolate Cake' is one of Rosen's most popular poems, and it is often used in schools to teach kids about rhyming words. Rosen's other popular poems include 'I Spy' and 'Noisy Nat'.

Julia Donaldson

The incomparable author of so many amazing children's rhyming books.  Possibly best know for 'The Gruffalo', Julia has written over 200 books including picture books and books for older readers.

I have read lots of Julia's books but would love to know which is your favourite?

In 2011, Julia was appointed Children's Laureate . In keeping with her interest in acting and singing, she set out to encourage children to perform poetry, plays and dramatised readings to generate a love of books and of reading.  To help with this aim, she curated a collection of Poems to Perform, which includes some of her own poems as well as many others.

Listen to Julia's thoughts on Poetry 

Picture of Julia Donaldson, author with brown hair coming to under her chin and a fringe. She is wearin a dark purple top and is looking straight at the camera
Shows the cover of Poems to Perform by Julia Donaldson featuring a big ginger cartoon cat and other animals
Shows Roger Mcgough a greyhaired man with transparent round reading glasses. He is reading a book "Poetry Pie" and is wearing a blue-grey Polo-neck sweater. He is standing in front of bookshelves and rows of books.

Roger McGough

writes poems for both children and adults.  'The Trouble with Snowmen' and 'First Day at School' are two of my favourites. And of course there's his Poetry Pie, from his book of the same name (with links to great teacher resources)

The power of words: why poems are important for primary school children

National Poetry Day is a great way to encourage primary school children to enjoy poetry. It is also an opportunity to learn more about the power of words, and how poems can be used to express our feelings and thoughts.

This is important to the current Children's Laureate, Joseph Coelho, who started his writing career while still in school

"I wrote poems about how I was feeling, poems about life at school, angry poems, sad poems, funny poems and sometimes I’d nervously share those poems in my drama class."

He has gone on the write fantastic books and poems for children and has been described as a "perfromance poet and playwright"

 

And his current motto...

"Say it with a Poem"

Joseph Coelho