April can be a fickle, disappointing month. We hope for sunshine and get rain, we long for warmth and still feel the chill. On the other hand, a glimpse of daffodils blowing in the breeze, the sound of birds chirping when we awake and trees breaking out in buds, all lighten our hearts with hope. Hope for a warmer days and hope for brighter days, whatever that means for us.

One constant of April that lifts my spirit is the celebration of National Poetry Month. Established in 1996, National Poetry Month celebrates the role of poets in our cultural and coincides with National Poetry Writing Month. Recognizing the integral role of poets and poetry in our society, teachers, authors, publishers and book stores are among many who remind us that “words matter” and that even the shortest verse can touch a heart.

As I child, I was lucky enough to have “Poetry” once a week. In elementary school, we each had a book of poems that we read, discussed and often had to memorize. In fifth grade we had to memorize A Leak in the Dike by Phoebe Cary. A clever teacher put it to music, making a rigorous task enjoyable. I can still sing it. My mother used to read The Night Before Christmas every Christmas Eve. She often bragged that I could recite it by heart when I was only four years old. These are just some of the ways that I learned to appreciate poetry and why it has remained a constant in my life.

Poetry is often a gateway for children that struggle with reading, especially fluent reading. A bite-size verse is a palatable way to entice kids to read. Rhyming picture books have always held appeal for younger children and it’s surprising how much teens enjoy certain poems if they are presented in an appealing way.

During the month, I’ll be highlighting various ways to sneak poetry into your life and the life of your child. Poetry offers much bang for your buck if you are trying to encourage literacy in the home.

Here are three suggestions you can try this week:

Instead of nagging, write a short poem to remind family members to hang up their coat, clean the sink or do their homework. Sometimes humor goes a long way. My own mother used this trick. We had a pink bathroom in our home. I still remember the little poem she wrote to remind us to clean the tub…

If you want to bath in a tub that's pink,
it should be clean, don't you think?
Grab the Dow, it has pow, use it now! 

2. Assign each family member a day to find or write a poem and share it with the other members of the family. Hang each poem on the fridge or another prominent place and you’ll have a collection by the end of the month.

3. Kids love limericks. Hunt down a few to read to your kids during the week.

Poetry doesn’t have to be high-brow, dark, long or serious. Have fun with it this month and see if you can plant the seeds that grow your own or others appreciation of poetry.