Final answer:
The most helpful element when teaching students about syllables in poetry is the concept of meter, which deals with the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables within a line, creating its rhythm.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most helpful element when exposing students to syllables in poetry would be meter. Meter involves the measured arrangement of words in poetry, as by accentual rhythm, syllabic quantity, or the number of syllables in a line. A fundamental component of poetic meter is the pattern of the stressed and unstressed syllables, which creates the rhythm of the poem. In contrast, rhyme scheme, stanza, and alliteration are also important elements of poetry, but they are more about word repetition and sound patterns rather than the actual division and acknowledgment of syllables.
Examples of commonly used meters include iambic, trochaic, dactylic, and anapestic, each with a specific pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. The familiarity with rhythm students gained from nursery rhymes can be transferred to understanding meter in poetry. Practicing the identification of meter involves marking up the lines of a poem to show the stressed and unstressed syllables, thus making students more aware of how syllables are used and arranged in poetry.