Building Emotional Intelligence with Poetry: Helping Kids Express Feelings

Building Emotional Intelligence illustration with Poetry

As a children’s poet, I’ve seen firsthand how poetry can transform the way kids understand and express their emotions. Over my years of writing for children and visiting schools, I’ve witnessed countless young faces light up as they discover the power of poetic expression. Today, I want to share some insights on how poetry can be a fantastic tool for building emotional intelligence in children.

The Magic of Poetic Language

There’s something special about the way poetry speaks to kids. Unlike regular stories or conversations, poems use vivid imagery, rhythmic patterns, and clever wordplay to convey feelings. This unique approach often makes it easier for children to tackle emotions that might otherwise feel too big or scary to talk about.

When I visit schools, kids will often give me poems that they have written. While some are just silly rhymes, many times their poems are a way of expressing the emotions they are experiencing in their lives, from the joy of getting a new pet to the sadness of losing a grandparent. Like drawing a picture, writing a poem gives them an outlet for emotional expression that is simple, short, and easier than going into great detail, but still conveys what they are feeling.

Reading Poems to Recognize Emotions

Reading poetry aloud is a great way to introduce kids to a wide range of emotions. It’s amazing to see children’s faces as they recognize their own experiences in the words of a poem.

For instance, my poem “Sick Day” often gets knowing nods from kids who’ve tried to convince their parents they’re too ill for school. It’s a lighthearted way to talk about the mix of guilt and hope that comes with a little fibbing. By contrast, my poem “Good Morning, Dear Students” shares the excitement of what looks to be the best day ever at school, and the subsequent letdown when the students find out the Principal is playing a prank on them. By discussing these poetic portrayals of emotions, children learn to identify and name their own feelings more accurately and in a way that feels safe and non-threatening.

Writing Poems to Express Feelings

While reading poetry is valuable, I believe the real magic happens when kids start writing their own poems. There’s something about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) that helps children sort through their emotions.

I always encourage young writers to play with words and have fun with their poems. Sometimes, the silliest rhymes can lead to the most profound emotional insights. I’ve seen kids who struggle to talk about their feelings light up when given the chance to write a haiku about a bad day or an acrostic poem about their biggest fears.

Poetry Activities for Emotional Learning

Here are some of my favorite activities to help kids explore emotions through poetry:

  1. Emotion Color Poems: Ask kids to associate colors with different feelings and write a short poem for each. You might be surprised by the depth of their observations!
  2. Metaphor Mania: Challenge children to compare their emotions to objects or animals. “My excitement is a bouncy ball” or “My anger is a grumpy bear” can lead to some fantastic discussions.
  3. Poetry Journals: Encourage kids to create a poetry journal, writing a short poem each day about how they’re feeling. Over time, this can help them track their emotional patterns.
  4. Group Poems: Work together as a class or family to create a poem about a shared experience. This helps kids realize that many emotions are universal.

The Power of Rhythm and Rhyme

As someone who loves a good rhyme, I can’t overlook the impact of rhythm and rhyme in emotional expression. There’s something about a catchy rhyme that makes feelings stick in our minds. Just think about Dr. Seuss and how his rhythmic stories often carried deep emotional messages.

I often use rhyming couplets (I like to call them super-short poems) as a quick exercise for kids to express their feelings. It’s amazing how much emotion can be packed into just two rhyming lines!

Poetry as a Safe Space

One of the things I love most about poetry is how it provides a safe space for kids to explore tough emotions. Writing about sadness, anger, or fear in a poem can feel less scary than talking about these feelings directly.

When working with kids to write poems, I always try to create a supportive environment where they feel comfortable sharing their poems if they want to. It’s important to respect their privacy and offer support if any concerning issues come up in their writing.

Wrapping Up

As a children’s poet, nothing makes me happier than seeing kids discover the joy of poetry. But beyond just having fun with words, I truly believe that poetry is a powerful tool for developing emotional intelligence.

By reading, writing, and sharing poems, children can build a richer emotional vocabulary, improve their ability to express their feelings, and develop greater empathy for others. So the next time your child or student is struggling with big emotions, why not suggest writing a poem? You might be amazed at the insights that emerge through the power of poetic expression.

Remember, every child has a poet inside them, just waiting for the right words to come out. Let’s give them the tools to express themselves and watch their emotional intelligence bloom!

Kenn Nesbitt
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