Start with a short poem. To begin, rehearsing and memorizing a long, complex text may seem a little challenging. Giving the children a short and easy poem to start with should give them the confidence to memorize and recite. As time goes on, and as confidence grows, challenge them with longer, harder pieces.
Make it interesting. Give the children a poem they can relate to and extract meaning from. For children, memorizing an interesting and meaningful poem, as opposed to one they could not care less about, is easy and much more enjoyable. If the poet or the context of the poem means a lot, the motivation for studying and rehearsing will increase and the poem itself will become more memorable.
Have the children repeat the poem. Encourage them to reread the poetry multiple times, slowly and attentively. To memorize a poem, sitting down and remembering each word without any knowledge of context is of little use. To get a grasp of its meaning, it takes a lot of studying. If a child is willing to read into the poem and to identify its meaning, the words are much more likely to stick.
Let the children unwind, and keep the environment relaxed. Avoid putting any pressure on them. An occasional break from studying is crucial, as it allows the brain to rest and the words to sink in. If you encourage overworking, it will lead to tiredness and frustration. Make some time in your schedule for a leisurely walk or a quick nap.
Avoid a stressful atmosphere at all costs. To keep the brain productive, keep the child entirely focused. Attempting to memorize a poem in a busy, loud space will take a lot longer. Help the kids by keeping background noise to a minimum.