5 Week Poetry Challenge for National Poetry Month

Our 5 week poetry reading challenge for beginners is the perfect way to celebrate National Poetry Month. I developed the challenge as a way to introduce poetry into the daily lives of my kids. In fact, although I am a lifelong fan of poetry, it was the first time I had truly, intensely and deliberately started reading poetry with my kids.

It was a marvelous experience, and poetry has remained a joyful part of our daily life. Since the completing the poetry reading challenge, rarely a day goes by when we do not read or recite a poem.

National Poetry Month was established in 1996 as a month long celebration of the literary form. Most likely your child's school will include poems in the curriculum during April, but I encourage you to read poetry in your home as well.

For each week of the challenge, you will be directed to an in-depth post with details and an (optional) printable of that week's poem. Read on below for an overview of what each weekly challenge looks like.

MORE: Don't forget! The reading challenge also helps kids complete their Poetry Bingo cards!

Reading Challenge Instructions

The good news is the challenge rules are very flexible! Each week's post contains a poem to print out and display in your home. The primary objective is to read a poem out loud with your kids at least once a day for a week. Each post also contains extension ideas and further resources for more ambitious kids and parents.

Week 1:

Poem: "A Child's Thought" by Robert Louis Stevenson

Extras: Frequently Asked Questions about how to participate. Extension ideas that can be used throughout the challenge.

See the post and get the printable --> Poetry challenge week 1

Week 2:

Poem: "A Word" by Emily Dickinson (plus a suggested alternative)

Extras: Websites to visit for biographical information and poem analysis.

See the post and get the printable --> Poetry challenge week 2

Week 3: 

Poem: "There Was an Old Man with a Beard" by Edward Lear

Extras: More Lear poems; invent your own limericks

See the post and get the printable --> Poetry challenge week 3

Week 4:

Poem: Choose between "What are Heavy" and "The Wind" by Cristina Rossetti

Extras: Learn about the author, read more Rossetti poems.

See the post and get the printable --> Poetry challenge week 4

Week 5:

Poem: Selection from A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Extras: Watch clips of the scene, read books inspired by Shakespeare.

See the post and get the printable --> Poetry challenge week 5

The most important thing to remember is that the challenge is not a test! The objective is to enjoy the experience of reading poems, not to add another tedious task to your to do list. In the weekly posts, I recount our family's experience with the weekly poems, including surprises we made along the way.

Enjoy!