Category: News

Enter the STEAM Powered Poetry Video Contest!

If you love poetry, creativity, and a little bit of science, I’ve got something fun to share with you! My friend and fellow children’s poet Heidi Bee Roemer and her team of poets and educators have launched a wonderful opportunity for students who enjoy blending art and imagination with science, technology, engineering, and math.

It’s called the STEAM Powered Poetry Video Contest, and it’s open now through April 30, 2026. This contest invites junior high, high school, and college students to create short, engaging one-minute videos based on poems from a special collection of STEAM-themed poetry. There’s no entry fee, and you could win up to $100!

How Audiobooks Build Fluency in Young Readers

If you’ve ever listened to a child labor through a book, sounding out word after word, you know how much effort goes into decoding. For young readers, so much mental energy is spent just figuring out the words on the page that there’s little left for fluency, expression, or comprehension. That’s where audiobooks can make a huge difference. Far from being “cheating,” listening to books is one of the best ways to help children grow into strong, confident readers.

Introducing Lifetime Memberships on Poetry4kids

I’m thrilled to share some exciting news! In addition to monthly memberships, Poetry4kids now offers lifetime memberships—a one-time contribution of $99 that gives you VIP access on the site, forever.

When I first created Poetry4kids 30 years ago, my goal was simple: to help kids fall in love with reading through laughter and language. Over the years, the site has grown to include more than a thousand funny poems, dozens of writing lessons, hundreds of activity worksheets, and loads of teacher resources, all designed to make poetry fun and accessible for children and educators everywhere. Your support as a member helps me keep creating new poems, producing educational content, and maintaining the website so kids (and teachers) can keep enjoying it for free.

Until now, memberships have been available on a monthly basis, with levels ranging from $1/month to $25/month. These memberships unlock access to premium pages (including poems by reading level and poetic techniques), student activity worksheets, free ebooks, and other exclusive goodies. But I know that not everyone wants another monthly subscription to keep track of, so I’ve added a Lifetime Membership option for those who’d rather make a single, lasting contribution.

As a lifetime member, you’ll receive everything offered in the Fan, Cheerleader, and Booster levels, including: