Poetry Teatime: Tips for Getting Started
When I first heard about Poetry Teatime it sounded intimidating but impressive. Could I really have such a cultured time with my rough & tumble little boys? Turns out, YES!
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My two bookworms, now age 3 and 5, LOVE Poetry Teatime! And so do I. We carve out a slice of time to sit together listening to beautiful words while eating yummy snacks. As time has passed, they’ve really taken ownership, setting the tablescape, preparing the music (hello, Echo Dot!). While the tea is steeping, they’re busy setting the atmosphere. Some weeks they have made placemats; others they’ve picked weeds uh, I mean, flowers, from the yard. They love to find the plates and mugs and set the table. Since I often post a picture of our table on my Instagram account or Facebook, we like to create themed tables when possible. I’ll give the boys a hint and they’ll run with it (“Today’s poetry is about vehicles! What can we use to decorate the table?”).
Elements of Poetry Teatime:
Poetry. Obviously. But high interest poems are a must! Here’s a post I wrote describing how I select high interest poetry books and our top favorites.
Food. Feed them and they’ll come. Truthfully, this is a large part of the draw for my guys. I don’t mind. The end justifies the means, right? 😉 Most of the time, our spread is simple. Tea and a small treat. In the summer months, we switch to Poetry Lemonadetime. Air popped popcorn is a huge hit. I’m not sure why it took me so long to discover how easy it is to pop popcorn on the stove with a bit of coconut oil! LOL. The boys love to listen to the kernels popping, and I think it adds to the anticipation! (Measuring out the kernels and scooping the oil adds an extra layer of fun & learning, too.)
Fine Arts. We ask our Echo Dot to play some background music and if I really have my act together, I display an art piece which we study according to the Charlotte Mason method of Picture Study. I loosely have an artist and composer of the month. It makes my heart happy to hear Preschool Bookworm declare, “Echo, play Beethoven!”
Logistics of Poetry Teatime:
Certainly “tea” is not a necessity to enjoy a special time reading poetry. Like I mentioned, we have seasonally enjoyed Lemonadetime.
Tip: when you’re first introducing the concept, you can try adding some honey or sweetener, and gradually taper it off. This way you can train their tastebuds over time.
Tip: espresso cups are perfect for little hands! I found a set at a thrift shop, and ordered a second more durable set of “camping” espresso cups through Amazon as part of the boys’ “Back to School” gifts. These are the cups we used at Tinkergarten, pictured above!
We have an electric teakettle, also pictured above, that I just adore and has been equally admired by every guest to my home. It’s silly, but this little machine has been a motivator since it’s always out and looking appealing!
Why Poetry?
“Poetry is a kind of verbal music. It is more than just doggerel that rhymes. It appeals more to feelings than to intellect. In poetry we get the shape and feel of words. Children may learn to appreciate poetry more than adults do because they are free to let it be what it is and not demand more of it.” (Gladys Hunt, Honey for Child’s Heart)
“We don’t turn to Mother Goose [poetry] for the plot. We turn to her because she takes all those sounds, syllables, endings, and blendings, and mixes them in with the rhythm and rhyme of language” (Jim Trelease, The Read Aloud Handbook)
“Poetry motivates children to read, builds phonemic awareness and builds essential skills like vocabulary, fluency, expression, and writing. Each of these is crucial for children to develop in order to become strong readers.” (This article, which goes on to describe some of the emotional benefits as well. This article expounds too. )
And concerning poetry in general (not just for kids), if you’re up for some light neuropsychology reading: The Emotional Power of Poetry: Neural Circuitry, Psychophysiology and Compositional Principles. Brain scans taken during the study showed that listening to the poems activated parts of participants’ brains that are not activated when listening to music or watching films, though the same emotions are evoked.
But don’t forget…. “Poems, like good seasonings, should be sprinkled lightly on the life of a child. One here, another delightful one there. Too much deadens the ability to hear and helps some children decide that poetry is wearisome.” (Gladys Hunt, Honey for Child’s Heart)
You may also enjoy my post sharing my Teatime Birthday Party that I threw for my niece!
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