The Essential Guide To Using Poetry in The Classroom at Key Stages 1 and 2

The essential guide to using poetry in
the classroom at Key Stages 1 and 2

Foreword
Children love rhyme in the way that they love with the tools and techniques to bring poetry to
music and colour. Short and easy to memorise, life. Giving teachers the confidence to deliver
poems fire the imagination, and the sooner they inspiring introductions to poetry will help develop
listen to, and begin writing poems the richer the writers and readers of tomorrow.
their inner lives will be. It is essential to foster
an enthusiasm for poetry as children move
through their primary education. The first step in
doing this is to encourage and support teachers Roger McGough
Contents
Teach, Inspire and Learn with the Poetry Society 2

Introduction 3
About the Poets 4
KS1 Activities
Anyone Seen My Dragon? – Roger Stevens 5
Magical Powers – David Harmer 9
Lower KS2 Activities

Animal Menagerie – Roger Stevens 13
My Family & Other Pests… – David Harmer 17
Upper KS2 Activities

Rhyme Time – Roger Stevens 21
Short Poems are Scary! – David Harmer 27
Reading List 31
Useful Links and Resources 32
© 2014 POETRY SOCIETY & THE AUTHOR/S 1

DISTRIBUTION AUTHORISED FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY
EDUCATIONADMIN@POETRYSOCIETY.ORG.UK
Teach, Inspire and Learn Introduction
with the Poetry Society
The Poetry Society has been working to promote Ages 11+ “Student teachers who participated in Poetry The activities are divided by Key Stage and take
the study and enjoyment of poetry, for all ages, We have a range of opportunities for young Train demonstrated significantly greater as their starting points fantastic poems from
since 1909. Whether you’re already an expert, writers as they move into secondary school improvement in knowledge of and enthusiasm poets such as Carol Ann Duffy and Jackie Kay.
a committed enthusiast or taking your first including our Foyle Young Poets of the Year for poetry, confidence in teaching poetry, and They have been designed to be adaptable and
steps in poetry, we’re here to guide you on your Award, SLAMbassadors UK spoken word acquisition of teaching skills than a comparison flexible to your needs. Each activity suggests
exploration. championship and Young Poets Network. Visit group.” alternative examples and ideas for further
our website to find out more. reading. The activities can be done at a class
The Poetry Society Education team delivers a level, in groups, pairs or individually as is
comprehensive range of workshops, resources, These were the findings in 2013 of the National appropriate. Several are presented with a simple
competitions and training to support the For more information please take a look at our Foundation for Educational Research, which frame, so that the missing parts can be completed
delivery of poetry in schools and informal website or don’t hesitate to get in touch. conducted an independent study into the Poetry but this, of course, is very much a beginning.
learning settings. Society’s Poetry Train programme. Poetry Train As pupils become increasingly confident with
educationadmin@poetrysociety.org.uk partnered poets Roger Stevens and David Harmer writing poetry, the scaffolding can be reduced
www.poetrysociety.org.uk/education with initial teacher training students at the and eventually, not used at all.
020 7420 9880
University of Roehampton and Bishop Grosseteste
Poets in Schools Follow us on Twitter: @poetry_soc_edu University College in Lincoln.
At the back of this pack you’ll find a reading list
Inspire your class with a visit from one of
of some of the collections and anthologies where
our poet educators. We have a network of This resource pack shares the proven techniques you can find work for these age groups. Delve
experienced poets across the UK who can bring that Roger and David developed through the deeper in here to expand your poetry repertoire,
poetry to life in your classroom. Poetry Train programme. We hope it will be a following what excites you and your students.
useful starting point for any primary teacher
INSET and CPD looking to introduce poetry to their classroom.
Book our effective CPD training for school, Local So we encourage you to follow your nose, pull
Authority and Initial Teacher Training settings these activities apart, mix and match sections,
delivered by expert poet educators. Poets, like teachers, have different approaches. scrap bits and add bits. Most of all though, have
Roger Stevens’ activities tend to be longer tasks fun playing with language and exploring the
Poetryclass Teaching Resources that guide your students through a process to worlds of fairies, dragons, and Mr Magoo’s Zoo.
Find further inspiration in our library of free create their own poetry. David Harmer meanwhile
downloadable teaching resources, including presents short sharp bursts of activity that can
lesson plans by Valerie Bloom, Rachel Rooney stand alone, or be used cumulatively.
and Brian Morse. Whatever you’re looking for we Judith Palmer
have materials for all ages and covering a wide Director, The Poetry Society
range of topics. You can search by keyword and
age group to find exactly what you need for your
class. www.poetryclass.poetrysociety.org.uk
Schools Memberships
Become a schools member to hear about
our latest opportunities, as well as receiving
discounts and additional benefits.
Published by the Poetry Society, 2014 Poetry Train was generously supported by:
22 Betterton Street, London, WC2H 9BX The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and
www.poetrysociety.org.uk The Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Edited by Nicola Edwards With thanks to Bishop Grosseteste University College
Design by Signe Lydersen, www.signeldesign.co.uk and the University of Roehampton
Illustration by Alex Foster, www.alex-foster.com ISBN: 978-1-900771-81-8
2 © 2014 POETRY SOCIETY & THE AUTHOR/S © 2014 POETRY SOCIETY & THE AUTHOR/S 3
DISTRIBUTION AUTHORISED FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY DISTRIBUTION AUTHORISED FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY
EDUCATIONADMIN@POETRYSOCIETY.ORG.UK EDUCATIONADMIN@POETRYSOCIETY.ORG.UK
About the Poets Anyone Seen My Dragon? •• rhyme
•• writing a chorus
•• reading together
A KS1 Activity by Roger Stevens •• animal poems
David Harmer Roger Stevens

David lives in Doncaster. He has been both a Roger Stevens is a children’s author and poet
teacher and a headteacher but has spent the last who visits schools, libraries and festivals
ten years as a freelance writer. David’s poems performing and running workshops. His most
and stories appear in more than 100 books,
mainly published by Macmillan Children’s Books.
recent poetry books for children include What Are
We Fighting For? (poems about war, with Brian Missing: DAISY
He also has a number of collections for adults. Moses) and a solo collection — Beware! Low
David was a founder member of the poetry Flying Rabbits. Recent anthologies include What
performance group Circus of Poets. He is now Rhymes With Sneeze? and Off By Heart. His poetry
a member of the more elderly version The Saga anthology — A Million Brilliant Poems, Part One Anyone seen my DRAGON? And she’s beastly.
Louts. When he isn’t working solo, David, together — was nominated for the CLPE poetry award. His Scary, Scaly And a pest.
with Paul Cookson, is part of the highly rated children’s novel The Comic Café was published Tall ‘n Taily But I love her. (She’s the best.)
poetry duo Spill The Beans. He has performed in 2012. A series of comedic children’s novels Daisy the Dreadful Dragon.
in schools, colleges, theatres and front rooms is currently being prepared. His first album of Please send Daisy
all over the country. He also works at Sheffield acoustic songs I Don’t Wish To Alarm You But… She’s got bad breath. Back to me.
Hallam University where he teaches both MA and was released in 2013 on Irregular Records, to A temper true. Treat her well. Or you’ll be tea…
BA Creative Writing. good reviews. Eats old ladies. (Children too.)
Anyone seen my DRAGON?...
Roger spends his time between Loches, in France, She breathes out fire.
and Brighton, where he lives with his wife. He She puffs out smoke.
runs the Poetry Zone, a website for children and She’ll singe your hair. She’ll make you choke.
teachers: www.poetryzone.co.uk. His poetry blog James Carter
can be found at www.rogerstevens.blogspot.com. Anyone seen my DRAGON?...
She soars about.

She seeks out food.
Makes loud noises. (Mainly rude.)
Yes, she’s grumpy.

Yes, she’s smelly.
Big Butt always blocks the telly.
Anyone seen my DRAGON?...
First published in Hey, Little Bug! Poems for Little

Creatures by James Carter (Frances Lincoln, 2011).
Reproduced by permission of the author.
Anyone Seen My Dragon? — A KS1 Activity by Roger Stevens Anyone Seen My Dragon? — A KS1 Activity by Roger Stevens
This activity is ideal for Years One and Two – but The children will join in with ‘too’ and so on, At this point you can change the first line:
can be adapted easily for Reception children too. throughout the poem.
It involves lots of joining in and should be great Anyone seen my big, black cat?
fun. Who doesn’t like scary dragons? Read the poem out loud once more, this time with
the children providing the chorus and the rhymes.
Reading aloud helps the children pick up the With the class’s help, fashion the chorus. Then all
rhythm, as well as making the exercise more fun. say it together:
Getting started
Gather the children around you, as you would for
story time, and read them the Daisy poem. Once Writing the poem Anyone seen my big, black cat?
you’ve read it through, encourage them to join in The first stage is to create a class poem. On a flip Fat and fluffy
the chorus. chart or whiteboard write down the children’s Cute and cuddly
ideas and the poem itself. Kali my beautiful cat.
Anyone seen my DRAGON?

Scary, Scaly Explain that you are all going to write a poem. It’s Now move on to the first verse. Again, don’t
Tall ‘n Taily going to be about a pet. This poem doesn’t have worry about making the verses rhyme. Finding
Daisy the Dreadful Dragon. to rhyme. It can do if suitable rhyming words good, descriptive words, and repeating sounds,
are suggested, but the most important thing is to is more important. The idea is for you to combine
accurately describe the animal. Never sacrifice a your skill with words with the children’s
Repeat the whole poem several times, stressing ideas. Your input will obviously be greater
the rhymes, until most of the children have picked good poem for the sake of a torturous rhyme (and
children do come up with some, believe me!). with Reception or less able children while it
up the chorus and are hearing the rhymes clearly. will probably be minimal with more able or
Year Two children.
Read out the whole poem again, this time Begin by discussing what pet the poem is going
pausing before the rhyming words – encouraging to be about. Do any of the children have pets?
Talk for a bit about the names of their pets and Now we need suggestions for the cat’s behaviour.
the children to add them in without too much She sits and purrs. She sleeps all day. She teases
prompting from you. how they behave. Finally decide on a pet to write
about. In this example I’ll use a cat. Explain that the dog. She stalks birds. She climbs trees. She
we are ‘making up’ the poem – so it doesn’t have brings dead mice into the house.
She’s got bad breath. to be anyone’s actual pet. And we can choose a
A temper true. name too. Let’s use Kali. Verse one might become…
Eats old ladies. Children… (pause here)
Next we have to write a chorus. Start the children She walks on the fence
off by writing down the first line: She climbs the tree
Poet’s tip She teases the dog
She stalks the birds
Anyone seen my cat?
As you will know, it is always great fun for
children and teachers to read poems together out Depending on the age and ability of your children
loud. To make this more interesting you can think Now ask the class to suggest what he or she
you can make the poem short or long. As you
of different ways of joining in. When you read looks like.
complete a verse, read the poem through again
the chorus of ‘Missing: DAISY’, for example, you with everyone joining in.
might try increasing the volume – beginning by You might have suggestions such as big, small,
reading the first line very quietly, then gradually hairy, black, white, fluffy... The children may also
getting louder line by line until you all shout come up with ideas for the type of cat, such as
‘Dreadful Dragon’ at the end. Tabby, Persian, Rag Doll, Tortoiseshell, Siamese...
Anyone Seen My Dragon? — A KS1 Activity by Roger Stevens
Magical Powers •• rhyme
•• imagery
•• imagination
A KS1 Activity by David Harmer •• simile
Developing the activity Further activities
For more able or older children, for example if Our cat went missing once. We found him a
you are working with a Year Two class, once couple of weeks later living in a house up the
you’ve finished the class poem, you can ask the road where the quality of food was better. Maybe
children to write their own versions of the poem. the pet in the class poem could write a letter to
They can do this individually or in groups. If they his owner about his new home?
work in groups explain that they need to work
together and make decisions together about the
Or maybe the pet has gone on holiday and might
Where The Fairies Are
best words for their poem.
send a postcard?
Begin by writing on the whiteboard or flip chart:

If you want to include art activities then the class Wild laughter, tiny wingbeats
could create posters for their missing pet, asking Ripples on the lake
Anyone seen my… if anyone has seen them, and incorporate their Whispers chatter through the hedgerows
poems. Springtime fairies wake.
Tell them they must first decide on the pet they’re
going to write about, one that’s not a dragon Now try this Gentle heat-haze on the meadows
(that’s been done) and not the pet that was James Carter’s poem can also be found in Grrr! Floats across the sky
chosen for the class poem (that’s been done, too). Dinos, Dragons and Other Beastie Poems by James From cowslip bells and dandelions
Carter and Graham Denton (Macmillan Children’s Summer fairies fly.
Ask for suggestions. This time, encourage them Books, 2013) which includes lots more dragons,
to think of more adventurous pets, such as and dinosaurs too.
Frosted nights and golden sunlight
spiders, snakes, monkeys and so on. Write the Wood smoke scents the day
names of lots of possible pets on the board for Other poems that can work for this age group Falling leaves flame red and orange
the class to refer to. and with similar activities include ‘On a Wild, Autumn fairies play.
Wild Walk’ by James Carter, ‘Sounds of School’
Remind them that they have to write the chorus by Michaela Morgan and ‘My Cat Doesn’t Love’ by
Snow and ice freeze up the farmland
first. Danielle Sensier; all found in A First Poetry Book,
Silent, drifting deep
Ed. Pie Corbett and Gaby Morgan (Macmillan
Far away inside the forests
Children’s Books, 2012).
Explain again that the poem doesn’t have to rhyme Winter fairies sleep.
and that you are looking for words that bring the
pet to life, imaginative adjectives and descriptions
of the pet’s behaviour which don’t always have to
be serious or accurate. However the poems turn David Harmer
out, be very positive, and DO make it fun.
When they have finished, ask some of the children

to read out their poems.
Magical Powers — A KS1 Activity by David Harmer Magical Powers — A KS1 Activity by David Harmer
The idea of writing about fairies can put off Write an ‘If I was a...’ poem A repeating refrain every four lines, blaming the easily use this device. The wind becomes a giant,
some students, especially boys, but by looking Ask the children to imagine themselves as the calamities on a mischievous goblin, for example, the rain is his or her tears. The icy wind is a
at magical powers, imps, spirits, gremlins and subject of the model poem ‘Where The Fairies can give the poem some form: monster and he or she is breathing cold air.
the like, there is nothing to stop the whole class Are’ and make a poem of their ideas. Encourage A hot day poem could begin like this:
finding something to excite them. Plus it can be them to talk about the things they would do if they
There’s a goblin in our school
an excellent springboard into looking at nature, had magic powers. What would it be like to fly?
Just hear what I say The sun is like a dragon smiling
the weather and other topics. The structures and How would you use your magic powers? Would
I haven’t seen it yet The clouds are...
frames provided here are a starting point, and you help other people? What tricks would you play
But I will one day. The heat is like...
you should feel free to adapt them to suit your and on whom would you play them? What would
It’s really causing trouble
class, or remove them altogether as you and your your parents or carers say and do?
Why won’t it go away?
students grow more confident in writing poetry Really what these frames are doing is extending
together. the idea of each aspect of the weather into
Using a simple bit of repetition can give these
Using this device, children can complete a class fantasy, using simile and metaphor. Simply make
thoughts a poetic shape, like my example below.
poem that they’ve each made a contribution to. your own and allow the children’s imaginations
You and your class can either continue on from
More able students can be stretched by asking free rein.
Getting started my example or more able students could be
them to produce the refrain.
Discuss with your class where else fairies can challenged to imagine themselves as a magical
be found. In our homes? Under the bed? Next creature and create their own poem. Personification
door? In the road? In the corner shop? The Magical nature and beyond
When objects and events are given the
supermarket? Inside our televisions? Where do This activity can be used to develop one of your
characteristics of human beings and turned into
they hide when they are in these places? If I was a fairy earlier poems. Here the similes are more complex
living things it is called personification.
If I had magic powers and they enrich the poem by adding more detail to
And I could make spells the picture the poem creates. In my example, each
Talk to the children about what a simile is and,
This is what I’d do line takes a specific aspect of a leaf and links it
to get their ideas flowing, ask for their ideas to
Yes this is what I’d do to a simile, building this poem up from the more
complete this frame, including as many similes as
I would... simple ideas used in the list poem.
possible.
And so on.
This example chooses the seasons from the
Simile
model poem, but any feature of this or any other
Write a class poem
A simile is a phrase that describes something as poem can be similarly used.
Another idea is to ask the class to list all the
being like something else: e.g. as slow as a snail.
strange events of that week: lost jumpers,
broken pencils, missing footballs, tumbles in My leaf is golden like...
I found a fairy in my... the playground, litter suddenly appearing, books My leaf is orange like...
It looked like... nobody can find, mistakes in spelling, in sums, My leaf is as red as...
Smaller than... buttons coming off clothes and so on. Each child My leaf is as crunchy as...
Its hair was... in the class could be a line of the poem, their My leaf is as yellow as...
Its wings were... name followed by the calamity! My leaf curls like...
They sounded like...
And so on.
It flew towards...
Georgia’s lost her pencil
It landed...
TJ lost a button
I saw it lift its wand and say... Other poems could look at the dark, the sun, the
Hamza got a sum wrong
Then... wind, ice, snow, rain, storms and so on. Students
Sky has fallen over
And then it was gone could begin to explore personification and begin
to imagine and describe these elements as
people. I like to stretch the definition by including
monsters, dragons, animals etc as well as people.
Poems about the ideas mentioned above could
Magical Powers — A KS1 Activity by David Harmer
Animal Menagerie •• animal poetry
•• description
•• alliteration
A Lower KS2 Activity by Roger Stevens •• structured writing
Write a rhyming poem
Rhyme isn’t an easy tool to pick from the poetry
Poet’s tip
toolbox but it can add music and rhythm as well
A quick way to develop a frame for a rhyming
as confirm expectation and add to meaning.
poem is to take a simple rhyme, a nursery rhyme
Young children often want to use rhyme, but
perhaps, and write class versions of it, changing
you need to ensure that its inclusion doesn’t
the words but keeping the sense of rhyme.
trivialise the poem or bend meaning into terrible
contortions. An easy way to help with this is to
Of course, as with all poetry, the more poems of
Home for Nervous Newts
make a class rhyming dictionary on a big piece of
every kind that the class hear, read and write for
paper and stick it on the wall. Some preparation
themselves, the more familiar they will become
is needed because the technique is to take a word
with these ideas. In Norris Nutshell’s Home for Nervous Newts
and then go through the alphabet, e.g bake:
ache, brake, break, cake, cornflake, fake, etc... You will find
Nigel Newt, hiding under a rock
Now try this Norman Newt, swimming all alone
There may be others; some may be unsuitable. Other poems that can work for this age group and Narissa Newt
Perhaps you could limit your rhyming dictionary with similar activities include: ‘Johnny Come Over Reading a book
to four or five rhymes each time. Then make a The Water’ by Charles Causley, ‘The Wind and Nigella Newt, cooking a meal for one
simple frame, say about the weather that day, and the Sun’ by Julia Donaldson, ‘Wizard’ by Richard And Frank Frog
explain that the poem is going to be six lines long Edwards and ‘Season of Trees’ by Julie Holder. Wondering how he got into this poem by mistake
and that lines two, four and six have to rhyme. All included in The Works Key Stage 1, Chosen by
Pie Corbett (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2006).
Today the rain is pounding down
Roger Stevens
I am very wet ‘The Princess’s Treasure’, ‘A Few Frightening
... ... ... ... ... ... Things’ and ‘Fairy Names’, all by Clare Bevan,
... ... ... ... ... ...[rhyme with wet] ‘Monisha’ by David Horner, ‘Listen and Look’
Chameleon Enclosure
... ... ... ... ... ... by Patricia Leighton, ‘Mermaid’s Purse’ by Kate
The wetter I will get! Sedgewick and ‘Never Pick A Fight With A Fairy’
by Roger Stevens, all found in A First Poetry Book,
This is all arbitrary and any rhyming rule will do. Ed. Pie Corbett and Gaby Morgan (Macmillan
The more you do this with your class the less you Children’s Books, 2012).
will need to scaffold this process. In Camilla Cupcake’s Chameleon Enclosure
‘Ten Things Found In A Wizard’s Pocket’ by Ian You will find
McMillan from Orange Silver Sausage, A Collection Cathy Chameleon
of Poems Without Rhymes from Zephaniah to Constance Chameleon
Agard, Compiled by James Carter and Graham Colin Chameleon
Denton (Walker Books, 2009). And Chloe Chameleon
But only if you look
Really
Really
Hard
Roger Stevens
Both poems reproduced by permission of the author.
Animal Menagerie — A Lower KS2 Activity by Roger Stevens Animal Menagerie — A Lower KS2 Activity by Roger Stevens
Most children love animal poems, so this activity You should now have something like this: Now ask the children if they agree that the poem Writing the poem
is ideal for lower juniors. It’s also easily adapted is actually rather boring and challenge them to Now ask the children to have a go at writing their
to different ages and abilities; I’ve used it think of ways to make it more interesting. own poem. Remind them that this is a first draft
Silly Monkey
successfully with less confident children from and that they shouldn’t worry about neatness
Year 2 to gifted and talented pupils in Year 6. It’s Lazy Lion and spelling at this stage (that will be important
Discuss ways to do this with the class. The
easy to deliver and needs no advance preparation. Tall Giraffe later) but just to concentrate on their ideas. Make
children’s ideas will, to a degree, depend upon
Eight-legged Octopus sure they understand the instructions below
their age, ability and confidence. Ask them to
Slithery Snake (especially that they think of a list of animals
suggest new adjectives. At first, ideas may be
before moving on to think of adjectives) and ask
Getting started Ferocious Rhinoceros slow in coming and you may have to prompt them.
them to:
On the board or on a flip chart write ‘In Mr Suggest that a ‘tall’ giraffe is not very interesting
Magoo’s Amazing Zoo you will find...’ because it’s very obvious. Of course giraffes are •• Think of where the poem will take place (zoo,
Explain that together everyone in the class has tall, just as elephants are big, or lions are fierce. pet shop, farm, etc).
Beneath this, draw a line down the middle of the
written a poem! Can they think of more interesting adjectives?
board and ask the class to suggest an animal that •• Make up the owner’s name (Mr Magoo,
might be found in a zoo. Write the suggestion Professor Plum, Betty Butler, etc) or use their
in the right hand column. Ask for five more You could suggest that the children use own name in an interesting way (Anielka’s
In Mr Magoo’s Amazing Zoo you will find
suggestions and encourage some variety rather alliteration (already employed in the list above in Aquarium, Lou’s Zoo, Dabbah’s Home for Lost
A silly monkey
than, say, six different kinds of big cat. ‘lazy lion’, ‘slithery snake’). Where appropriate, Dogs).
A lazy lion
change or improve what you have already written
A tall giraffe •• Draw lines down the page to make an
on the board. Now we may have… a ‘mischievous
Now ask the class for an adjective to go with An eight-legged octopus appropriate table.
monkey’, a ‘lazy lion’, a ‘ginormous giraffe’, an
each animal. Write down the first adjectives A slithery snake
‘oily octopus’, a ‘slithery snake’ and a ‘bored •• Decide which six animals they want to use and
the children give rather than prompting them And a ferocious rhinoceros
bear’. write them in the right-hand column.
for interesting ones. You’re going to make
improvements later. Other suggestions might be: •• Add the adjectives in the left-hand column and
go on from there, adding activities if they want
•• To think of other human-built places where
to in subsequent columns, depending on how
animals might be found. For example, Mr
detailed you want the poem to be.
Magoo’s Pet Shop, Farm, Safari Park and so
on. The animals the children choose would
need to fit the new theme. Once you and they are happy with the poem, write
it out neatly on paper or in a book they can keep.
•• To change Mr Magoo’s name. How about Peter
Porter’s Pet Shop or Fenella Fortune’s Farm?
•• Rather than keeping just the name of the
animal and its description, to give it something
to do as well. For example, ‘A mischievous
monkey swinging from a tyre’, ‘a lazy lion lying
in the sun’.
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same sounds at
the beginning of words. Remember: it’s the sound
that makes something alliterative, not the letter
e.g. a kicking cat.
Animal Menagerie — A Lower KS2 Activity by Roger Stevens
My Family & Other Pests… •• people and families
•• contrasts
•• personal writing
A Lower KS2 Activity by David Harmer •• haiku
Developing this idea Metaphor
As well as being run quite comfortably with Year
A metaphor is a phrase that describes something
Two children, this activity could be developed
by stating that it is something else: e.g. the traffic
for use with more confident, more able or older
jam is a snail moving down the road.
children. Here are a few suggestions.
•• List more than six animals.
•• Find more than one adjective for each animal.
Now try this
For making and adapting list poems: ‘Ten Things
New Baby
•• Have the animals doing more than one activity. Found In A Wizard’s Pocket’ by Ian McMillan
and ‘Younger Brother’ by Trevor Millum. Both
•• Create different descriptions and activities but
found in The Works, Ed. Paul Cookson (Macmillan
for the same type of animal (like my chameleon My baby brother makes so much noise
enclosure and nervous newts). that the Rottweiler next door
•• Use numbers. Ask the class to remember when phoned up to complain.
A more widely used example is ‘The Magic Box’
they were toddlers and read lots of picture
by Kit Wright from The Magic Box: Poems for My baby brother makes so much noise
books to teach them to count. Maybe they have
Children by Kit Wright (Macmillan Children’s that all the big green frogs
younger brothers and sisters who read these
Books, 2013). came out of the drains.
picture books.
My baby brother makes so much noise

You might end up with something like: that the rats and mice
Poet’s tip wear headphones.
One mischievous monkey
Two tired toads The poem examples for this activity show how My baby brother makes so much noise
Three thoughtful thrushes... you can play with this format and have fun. Yes, that I can’t ask my mum a question,
you can use poetry for teaching alliteration, so much noise that sometimes
simile, metaphor and spelling – it is a useful
•• Use rhyme. This can be quite tricky for some tool for all of that – but I believe playing with I think of sitting the cat on top of him
children, but encourage them to try if they poetry is of far greater value. From working in his pretty little cot with all his teddies.
want to. Discourage them from using a word with classes over the years I have seen that it But even the cat is terrified of his cries.
just because it rhymes. Explain that it has to motivates children to read and write and builds
make sense, too. They might find it easier to their confidence in using language. So do bear So I have devised a plan. A soundproof room.
find rhymes for the actions of the animals, in mind that activities like this one should, above A telephone to talk to my mum.
rather than their actual names. everything, be fun. A small lift to receive food and toys.
•• Use simile or metaphor, for example ‘a rhino
Thing is, it will cost a fortune.
like a runaway tank’, ‘a boulder of a bear’.
The other thing is, the frogs have gone.
It’s not bad now. Not that I like him or anything.
You will have other ideas. And so will your
class. One of the delights of this activity is that
pupils will often come up with suggestions that
you haven’t thought of. I was doing the activity
Jackie Kay
with some very bright Year Fives and one
of them decided to list 26 animals, arranged
alphabetically. Ingenious!
My Family & Other Pests… — A Lower KS2 Activity by David Harmer My Family & Other Pests… — A Lower KS2 Activity by David Harmer
In ‘New Baby’ Jackie Kay is mining the valuable Further ideas This frame has a lot of different approaches to Put yourself in the poem
seam of children’s everyday experiences which Obviously there are lots of other contrasts the lines it’s asking the children to suggest. There As a good extension to the previous activity, ask
can lead to a rich variety of poems. Children possible. The weather is always a good place to are some similes, some actions, some lines about the children to imagine themselves as another
always have interesting stories to tell about their start. The children could write wet/dry, hot/cold their reflections and wishes. This lends the poem member of their family. Following Jackie Kay’s
families and friends. Using these stories and or sun/ice poems. They could create yuk/tasty a real variety of possibilities for the children to example, I’ve gone for a new, noisy baby.
characters for inspiration can be a great way of poems about things they eat or drink or write tall/ respond to and you should feel free to use any/
getting your class writing. The simple structures short or up/down poems. Discuss with your class all/none of these approaches as you wish.
Here is a frame based on that technique:
in these activities can be used for lower Key how these poems might work; allow the children
Stage Two, and reduced or removed for older or to be imaginative with the language they use and
This activity can lead to poems about friends,
more able students. in how they present the poems. These ideas could I am a new baby
being at school, being at home, going on holiday,
be taken into more thoughtful areas, giving rise My name is...
shopping, playing and so on. Starting with four
to who are you?/who am I?, right/wrong or truth/ I am as noisy as...
Write a contrast poem people and four descriptive words or phrases
lies poems. As loud as...
Taking Jackie Kay’s poem as inspiration, tell provides a simple basis from which you can
the children that they are going to write some explore any number of topics.
When I scream
lines about noisy and quiet actions. They need Write a family poem
Next door’s rabbit...
to think of simple noisy things from their homes, Recognising that not every child lives with a mum
And their goldfish...
such as dogs barking, babies crying and hoovers and dad, ask the children if they can choose four
I make the windows...
humming. Next they should think of quiet things people to write about, either relatives or friends.
And the doors...
around them: goldfish swimming, babies sleeping, Ask them to write down their choices.
I am so loud I...
parents chatting and snow falling. They can then
write a poem that has two verses, one noisy one
Now they should think of a word or phrase to Outside, everyone...
quiet; or a poem in which the lines contrast with
describe each character, for example: noisy, loud, The dogs and cats all...
each other in a noisy/quiet/noisy/quiet pattern.
bossy, loving, funny, ticklish, always singing, Mrs. Jones up the street says...
always whistling, always laughing, whiskery, But I don’t...
For example: naughty, mischievous, shouty, great to be with. I like being...
Noisy and quiet Ask the children to expand on the characters Obviously, this technique can be used with any
Next door’s dog barking and characteristics they’ve chosen and complete number of things, from people (mums and dads,
My grandad is shouting at the telly some verses that echo Jackie Kay’s poem. older relatives, siblings, friends, teachers) to
My baby brother’s screaming. A sample frame for this activity could be: more abstract ideas like the wind, snow and
ice, heat and sunshine, seasons, animals,
Next door the dog is whimpering giants, monsters, ruined castles, trees in a
My dad is...
My mum and dad are chatting gale, and so on.
He always...
My sister’s whispering.
He is like a...
The pattern is this:
My mum is...
She sounds like...
Poet’s tip Yesterday she... Verse 1 introduces the speaker and something
about them using similes.
Poems are often about patterns: I started each My cousin is really... Verse 2 talks about the speaker’s effect on what
of these two verses with similar lines, and began She says... (or who) is around them.
the lines that followed them with ‘My’. Patterns Sometimes I wish... Verse 3 carries this on but ends with how the
like these can help structure the poems for the speaker feels about this effect.
children. My grandad...
I wish he...
Tomorrow I am going to...
My Family & Other Pests… — A Lower KS2 Activity by David Harmer
Rhyme Time •• alliteration
•• assonance
•• consonance
An Upper KS2 Activity by Roger Stevens •• rhyme
Writing haiku and other short poems Here is an example of a three line poem using the
Haiku are a very strictly defined form of poetry list. It is based on a haiku but doesn’t follow the
originating from Japan. strict pattern of syllables.
Haiku My baby brother is as loud as a train

He screams like a storm
Haiku poems have three lines, with five syllables
in the first, seven in the second and five in the
Then he falls asleep, as quietly as snow falling. Teacher, Teacher
third. They use images, often from nature, and
make a snapshot in time. These poems can stay as separate haiku or be
grouped together into a class poem.
Teacher, teacher
An example haiku might be:
If you can’t find Sue
Now try this
She’s in the cloakroom
There are loads of poems about families and
Baby brothers scream Looking for her shoe
relatives that can be used as inspiration for these
Like storms crashing through tall trees
activities, including: ‘Dad’s Goal Celebrations’
Then sleep like soft snow. Teacher, teacher
by Paul Cookson and ‘Here Comes Ronaldo’ by
If you can’t find Ben
Pam Johnson from When Dad Scored A Goal In
By all means have a go at these; they are a great He’s in with the Head
The Garden, Compiled by John Foster (Oxford
way to teach syllable-based patterns. However, ’Cos he’s late again
University Press, 2014).
syllable counts can be difficult, and the rule often
seems arbitrary. It is just as valid to ask the Teacher, teacher
‘Rooty Tooty’ by Carol Ann Duffy, ‘My Baby If you can’t find Hans
children to make a long list of similes, based on a
Brother’s Secrets’ by John Foster, ‘Grandpa’s He’s still in the shower
model poem, and then arrange them into verses
Soup’ by Jackie Kay and ‘Granny Granny ’Cos he’s lost his pants
of three lines without worrying about syllable
Please Comb My Hair’ by Grace Nichols, from
counts. Instead time can be spent on looking at
Green Glass Beads, Poems for Girls, Chosen by
improving the language and images used.
Jacqueline Wilson (Macmillan Children’s Books,
2012). Roger Stevens
Here are some examples, looking at ideas brought
up in Jackie Kay’s poem. Ask the class to come
‘Driving Home’ by Gerard Benson and ‘Sisters’
up with a big list from which a poem can then be
by Mick Gowar, from The Works 4, Chosen by Pie
made.
Corbett and Gaby Morgan (Macmillan Children’s
Books, 2005).
The baby yells as loudly as a train.
The baby yells like a storm.
Like a racing car howling.
Louder than a lion roaring.
A baby burps like water gurgling in the sink.
Babies curl up in their cot like a leaf.
The baby is crying like a running tap.
Crying like a rainy day.
The baby is sleeping like a quiet night.
The baby sleeps as quietly as falling snow.
First published in Beware! Low Flying Rabbits by Roger Stevens (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2011). Reproduced by
permission of the author.
Rhyme Time — An Upper KS2 Activity by Roger Stevens Rhyme Time — An Upper KS2 Activity by Roger Stevens
Children love rhyming and do it naturally while Choose one of the suggestions and write it on the Your verse could now be:
they play. So when they come to write poems board as two lines (like the last two lines of the
it takes very little to encourage them to find verses in my ‘Teacher, Teacher’ poem above).
Teacher, teacher
rhymes. In fact, the teacher’s task might be to
If you can’t find Jay
rein them in! Children often get carried away
For example you might have: He’s in the hall
and will not only try to make poems rhyme when
Putting mats away
rhyming is not appropriate or necessary, but will
also choose some pretty peculiar words, that She’s in the hall
have little bearing on the poem’s subject matter, Putting the PE mats away That sounds much better. Now the poem rhymes
just because they rhyme. naturally, makes sense and has a good rhythmic
flow. It tells a little story. Check that your pupils
Ask your pupils to write their own ideas in the
Children (and indeed adults) enjoy reading poems have done the same with their poems.
same way. They should not be thinking of rhymes
that rhyme. But writing rhyming poetry is actually yet.
quite difficult. I have divided this activity into The important thing here is to make sure the
two parts. The first is a fun, rhyming activity children understand that you’ve taught them
that demonstrates a very useful technique. The Now read them the ‘Teacher, Teacher’ poem.
how to make a better sounding rhyme. If you’d
second takes a look at rhyme in all its guises in gone for: ‘who’s in the hall putting mats away,
more depth. Ask the class to think of a name that rhymes with look teacher, it’s Jay’, then it sounds like you’ve
the last line of their verse, and write their poem contrived a name to fit your rhyme. But now you
in the style of ‘Teacher, Teacher’. Your example know how to avoid Clunky Last Line Syndrome.
Part One on the board could be:
Teacher, teacher
If you can’t find Jay
Poet’s tip
The last line of a rhyming poem is usually the She’s in the hall
most important. It’s the one you remember as you Putting the PE mats away The trick is always to think of the last line first.
finish reading. But so often young writers choose And then find your rhyme. This is how I wrote
a final line that lets their poem down. I call this ‘Teacher, Teacher’. I thought of the pupils’ names
The Clunky Last Line Syndrome. But it can be Your children should all have what we have, a last, so that I could make them rhyme with what
avoided. I’ll show you how. basic verse. But like most first drafts, it still was going on. Read everyone this poem then see
with the class. A trick technique that poets use. needs working on. Look for obvious things that if they’d like to flex their rhyming muscles with
Tell the children that they are each going to write might be improved. Jay is often a boy’s name, so a ‘Teacher, Teacher’ version of their own. You
a funny, rhyming, four-line verse. And the last in our poem on the board we need to change ‘she’ could also change the theme of the poem and
Getting started word of the second line will rhyme with the last to ‘he’. write about best friends, pets or places – anything
Don’t reveal my poem, ‘Teacher, Teacher’, yet. word of the fourth line. where the second line can end with a name.
Get your students to check that the rhythm of
Explain how the last line of a rhyming poem Discuss as many reasons as you can think of their poem is right by reading it out loud. The
can often let the poem down. Explain that it’s for someone to be missing from the classroom. flow is important. In our example you can hear
sometimes easy to write three brilliant lines For example, they could be on an errand for two beats (or stressed syllables) in each of the
but then have real difficulty finding a rhyme the teacher, they could be looking for the class first three lines. ‘Teacher, teacher, if you can’t
that works well for the fourth line. And that you hamster who has escaped, they could be helping find Jay’. Alter the last two lines to fit the same
should never use a word that doesn’t really work. the school secretary or they could be standing rhythm.
If you do, you’ll end up with a clunky poem, or outside the Head’s door, in trouble. Explain that
one that makes no sense, or one that just sounds this is going to be a fun poem – and encourage
contrived – as if you’ve tried too hard to find a them to use their imaginations to think up some
rhyme. Explain that you will be sharing a secret funny reasons.
Rhyme Time — An Upper KS2 Activity by Roger Stevens Rhyme Time — An Upper KS2 Activity by Roger Stevens
Part Two Assonance

Assonance can be described as ‘vowel rhymes’
where similar vowel sounds are repeated: e.g.
motor boat.
At first glance Jan Dean’s poem does not appear
to be a rhyming poem. But interestingly it does
Jenny rely very much on rhyme and other similar
devices. This activity looks at identifying half
Consonance
Consonance is the repetition of consonant
rhymes and other types of sound pairings, sounds. It’s like alliteration, but doesn’t
showing your students how to use them in their necessarily occur at the start of a word: e.g. the
own poetry. ‘T’ sounds in ‘pitter patter’.
The blind dog on the pebble beach
snuffles the grey-green savoury air
cocks her head Onomatopoeia
to the salt splash of the sea. Getting started Onomatopoeia is when a word makes the sound
Do not show the children Jan Dean’s poem yet. of the thing it is describing: e.g. drip.
The boy in the red jacket
chooses a stone Explain that the children are each going to write a Discussing ‘Jenny’
marks it with a cross poem about a particular animal, maybe a pet or a Read the poem out loud, at least twice. The
throws it in a high arc relative’s pet, and their relationship with it. meaning of a poem can be hard to grasp in one
black against the sky go; on a second or third reading you will hear
hears it fall. Clatter. things you missed the first time. The children
Start by asking the children to write down words,
phrases, thoughts about this animal. Everything will also begin to get a feel for the sound of the
The blind dog by the sea words.
should be written down very quickly without
runs, ungainly,
too much deliberation; they are simply getting
all lop-sided listening
together some facts and ideas. Ask the pupils if this is a rhyming poem. The
left ear leaning
to that last limestone chatter. obvious answer is ‘No’. Agree that this is true, if
While they are writing, throw out some you’re listening only to the ends of the lines, but
The blind dog on the beach suggestions to encourage them. Describe the suggest that there are, in fact, lots of rhymes and
finds the place – animal: its size, colour, length of hair. What is its other sound pairings in other parts of the poem.
hoovers her soft muzzle over the heap temperament: is it placid, angry, anxious, calm? These play an important role in the way the poem
sniffs and sifts the scents How does it move? Where did it come from? How works.
searches do you get on with it? Is there anything unusual
finds the one she knows. about it? Ask everyone to identify what is at work in the
poem. Here are some suggestions:
Ask them to arrange some or all of the words •• Actual rhymes. There are a few. For example,
Jan Dean they have written into short phrases one head/red, sea/ungainly, clatter/chatter.
underneath the other, to resemble a poem.
Reassure them that they’ve not finished yet. •• Alliteration. The poem is full of alliteration.
These pieces are the bare bones of a poem. In verse one, for example, blind/beach, grey-
green, salt/splash/sea.
Now share Jan Dean’s poem with the class. •• Assonance. There are lots of vowel rhymes
here. For example, in verse two, stone/throws,
jacket/black/clatter.
Poem to be published in The Penguin in Lost Property by Jan Dean and Roger Stevens (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2014).
Rhyme Time — An Upper KS2 Activity by Roger Stevens
Short Poems are Scary! •• imagination
•• haiku and tankas
•• cinquains
An Upper KS2 Activity by David Harmer •• kennings
•• Consonance. For example, in verse three, last/ Now Try This
limestone – followed by the slight suggestion Rhyming poems
of the soft ‘T’ in listening. ‘Down Behind the Dustbin’ by Michael Rosen
from Wouldn’t You Like To Know by Michael Rosen
•• Half rhymes and part rhymes. As you begin to
(Puffin, 1981). ‘After the Summer’ and ‘Garden
study the poem you begin to see and hear half
Shed’ by Roger Stevens from What Rhymes With
rhymes, part rhymes and near rhymes. For
example, grey and savoury.
Sneeze? by Roger Stevens (A&C Black, 2012).
Be Very Afraid
Animal poems
Now find out how the children feel the rhymes in
‘Guilty’, ‘Our Dog’s Tail’ and ‘My Dog’ all by Brian
the poem help its mood and the impact it makes.
Moses from A Cat Called Elvis by Brian Moses
For example, do the ‘S’ sounds that run through Of the Spotted Pyjama Spider of the Hairbrush Rat, of the Merit Badge Beetle,
(Macmillan Children’s Books, 2012).
the poem suggest the sound of the sea? You which disguises itself as a spot of the Bubble Bath Jellyfish
might also want to discuss other effects, such as on the sleeve of your nightwear, and the Wrist Watch Tick (with its terrible nip)
onomatopoeia and repetition. Classic poems with intricate rhymes waits till you fall asleep, or the Sock Wasp, of the Bee in the Bonnet
‘Cargoes’ by John Masefield from A Time to Speak then commences its ominous creep (camouflaged as the amber jewel
and a Time to Listen, Ed. Celia Warren (Schofield towards your face. in the hatpin on it). Be afraid
Writing the poem
& Sims, 2013). This excellent book also has a
Now ask the children to return to their own
companion teacher’s volume. Be very afraid of the Toilet Roll Scorpion,
poems and, using what they have learned
of the Hanging Lightcord Snake snug as a bug in its cardboard tube
from ‘Jenny’, to create internal rhymes. They
which waits in the dark until someone disturbs it,
should write as many rough drafts as they like, Alternatively, ‘From a Railway Carriage’ by Robert
for your hand to reach for the switch, of the Killer Earring Ant,
but concentrate on the language of the poem, Louis Stevenson and ‘Ozymandias’ by Percy
then wraps itself round your wrist dangling from a lobe
changing, adding to or improving as they think fit. Bysshe Shelley are good examples and both
with a venomous hiss. Be afraid, until someone perturbs it. Don’t be brave —
found in The Works, Ed. Paul Cookson (Macmillan
They can extend lines, incorporate different ideas, very afraid, of the Toothpaste Worm
be very afraid.
add more words or even start again from scratch. which is camouflaged as a stripe of red
But all the time they should be aware of rhyme. in the paste you squeeze
and oozes on to your brush
When pupils are satisfied with their poems ask with a wormy guile Carol Ann Duffy
them to share with the class. to squirm on your smile.
Be very afraid indeed

of the Bookworm Bat
Poet’s tip which wraps itself like a dustjacket
over a book,
Think about adventures you have had with pets. then flaps and squeaks on your face
I wrote a poem about our old dog Shelley who when you take a look. Be afraid
loved water and would always shake herself
over sunbathers on the beach. Another time
she couldn’t climb out of a rock pool and nearly
drowned. And once she escaped and we found
her trying to round up sheep on a Welsh hillside.
I’m getting the idea for another poem now...
Copyright © Carol Ann Duffy 2009. Reproduced by
permission of the author c/o Rogers, Coleridge &
White Ltd., 20 Powis Mews, London, W11 1JN.
Short Poems are Scary! — An Upper KS2 Activity by David Harmer Short Poems are Scary! — An Upper KS2 Activity by David Harmer
Introducing the surreal into the everyday can Another pattern is based on alliteration and parts Tanka have five lines; the first three are of five- or
really spark children’s imaginations. This activity of speech. The sequence is adjective, noun, verb, seven-five syllables like a haiku, then the last two
Toothpaste
looks to generate lots of ideas and then shape adverb, all using alliteration. lines have seven syllables. For example:
Tooth gleamer
them using short poem forms or through creating
Gum scrubber
nonsense verse monsters.
Tall tables totter terribly Bedroom curtains flap Spit frother
Big books bounce... The wings of some giant bird Smile shiner
Pointy pencils... Trapped inside my house. Breath minter
At night our classroom comes alive! One day it will fly at me
And so on.
Generate a discussion with the class. What And frighten me half to death.
Both these examples are based on words taken
happens at night in your classroom? Do the tables
from the model poem. It is quite a rigid form but a
run about on their legs? Do they dance with The whole school comes alive
Cinquains are arranged in five lines with a great way to present everyday things (and people)
the chairs? Can they talk? How loud are they? To add variety to the exercise, or to expand it
sequence of two, four, six, eight, two syllables. in imaginative ways as Carol Ann Duffy does.
What happens when books fly around? Are the further ask your children to consider all the bats
The last line is often used to add impact to the
exercise books different flying creatures from and balls in the PE store, the cleaners’ buckets
poem. For example:
the hardbacked books? Do maths books fly in and mops, the caretaker’s ladders, hammers and
patterns? In circles? In triangles? In squares? Do screwdrivers. Do they come alive too?
the numbers in books run out and start to count Curtains
each other? What happens if someone comes in? Slapping, flapping
Does all this chaos stop very sharply or do they
carry on?
Poet’s tip Giant wings open wide
A monster bird inside my room
Scares me.
The same ideas can be used with a long list of
This discussion will generate lots of ideas. The household objects, clothes and jewellery. All
challenge is to focus them. Here’s a small frame you have to do is give them the power to move Kennings are the basis of Anglo-Saxon riddles.
to get things started. and make noises. This is a good way into using They describe something, usually in two words
personification in poems, so that objects, the (with the second ending in ---er or ---ers), but
weather, trees, and so on come alive and speak. don’t name it.
The tables are...
My reading book flies...
The rulers are marching... Using kennings you can ask your class to take
Pointy pencils... Carol Ann Duffy’s idea of bringing objects to life
Paint brushes are... Short poetry forms but make it shorter. Students can create a list
Look out, it’s... By Year Six it is reasonable to ask the children to poem of kennings, all describing an object. For
try their hand at the following formal structures. example:
However, these syllable counts should never
This idea can be extended by asking children to
be seen as hard and fast rules. There is nothing Pyjamas
flesh out each line with a simile or description.
to stop children using the model poem as a Sleep charmers
source of ideas for short, snappy poems of Spider fighters
The tables are walking down the corridor three, seven and five lines that don’t worry about Cosy keepers
Like a long wooden caterpillar syllable counts. Just using the line as a measure Leg monsters
can be enough, especially if the children are Dream bakers
Another possible pattern is to give each line a encouraged to use simile, metaphor, alliteration
number, so that it reads: and onomatopoeia. Again, Carol Ann Duffy’s poem
can act as a model for ideas, but obviously these
forms can be used in many different contexts.
One table is...
Two books are... Try using haiku, tanka and cinquains to shape the
Three pointy pencils are... ideas that came out of your class discussion.
Short Poems are Scary! — An Upper KS2 Activity by David Harmer
Reading List
Nonsense monsters Extending this idea General Anthologies Themed Anthologies and Collections
In a sense, this technique is reversing the Finally, if you are really brave, make up some
•• A First Poetry Book, Ed. Pie Corbett and Gaby •• A Cat Called Elvis by Brian Moses (Macmillan
process Carol Ann Duffy uses. She takes ordinary class lists of revolting nonsense monsters and
Morgan (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2012) Children’s Books, 2012)
things and turns them into monsters; this process then put them round the classroom.
invents a monster and puts it in an ordinary place. Especially useful for Key Stage 1 and lower This includes poems about pets and animals
The following steps help students to create a Key Stage 2, this has many brilliant poems. as well as many on other topics.
Now try this
nonsense creature.
Other supernatural poems, monster poems and
nonsense poems can be used for gathering ideas. •• A Laureate’s Choice: 101 Poems for Children, •• Beware! Low Flying Rabbits by Roger Stevens
1. Choose an adjective or descriptive phrase, for Chosen by Carol Ann Duffy (Macmillan (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2011)
‘The Sockodile’ and ‘Walls Have Eyes’ by Paul
example: two-headed, slippery, slimy, three- Children’s Books, 2012)
Cookson and ‘There’s A Monster In The Garden’
toed, red, green, slinky, smelly, stinky. A selection of classic and modern verse •• Grrr! Dinos, Dragons and Other Beastie
and ‘Next Door’ by David Harmer from It’s Behind
You! Monster Poems by Paul Cookson and David chosen by the Poet Laureate. Poems by James Carter and Graham Denton
2. Choose a creature, for example: worm, beetle, Harmer (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2013). (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2013)
spider, fly, slug, snail, moth, creepy-crawly, •• A Time to Speak and a Time to Listen, Ed. Celia
dragon, monster, crab, shark, flea, bat, toad. ‘The Tongue Twister’ by Roger McGough from Warren (Schofield & Sims, 2013) •• Green Glass Beads: Poems for Girls, Chosen
You Have Been Warned! A Collection of Cautionary by Jacqueline Wilson (Macmillan Children’s
Verse, Chosen by Roger McGough (Oxford An illustrated collection with good variety and
3. Choose a verb, for example: clings, hangs, Books, 2012)
University Press, 2008). with an accompanying teacher’s book.
wobbles, stinks, crawls, flies, hovers, flaps, Supposedly ‘for girls’ but includes many
stalks, screeches, squeaks. poems for any and all children, including
‘The Walrus and the Carpenter’ by Lewis Carroll, •• Michael Rosen’s A-Z: The Best Children’s Poetry
‘The Listeners’ by Walter De La Mare and ‘The Jackie Kay’s ‘New Baby’.
from Agard to Zephaniah, Ed. Michael Rosen
With these you can create your own ‘Be afraid Owl and the Pussycat’ by Edward Lear, all in The (Puffin, 2009)
of...’ poems. For example: Oxford Book Of Children’s Poetry, Ed. Michael •• Hey, Little Bug! Poems for Little Creatures by
Harrison and Christopher Stuart-Clark (Oxford Published to coincide with his Children’s
James Carter (Frances Lincoln, 2011)
University Press, 2007). Laureateship, an anthology of contemporary
Be afraid of children’s poetry.
The three-toed, stinky wombat •• It’s Behind You! Monster Poems by Paul
That creeps over your bedroom carpet. Clear examples of haiku, tankas, cinquains and
kennings can be found in The Works, Ed. Paul Cookson and David Harmer (Macmillan
•• Poetry Jump Up: An Anthology of Black Poetry,
Cookson (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2010). Children’s Books, 2013)
Be afraid of Compiled by Grace Nichols (Puffin, 1990)
The tiny, slimy slug A ground-breaking collection of children’s
Crawling down your curtain. •• Orange Silver Sausage: A Collection of Poems
poetry from the best black poets.
Without Rhymes from Zephaniah to Agard,
Compiled by James Carter and Graham Denton
To develop this, take each of the nouns and give •• The Oxford Book Of Children’s Poetry, Ed. (Walker Books, 2009)
them a designation, e.g. the carpet slug, the Michael Harrison and Christopher Stuart-Clark
wallpaper wombat, the bathroom dragon, the (Oxford University Press, 2007)
wheelie-bin shark and so on. •• The Magic Box: Poems for Children by Kit Wright
A hardcover collection of classic children’s (Macmillan Children’s Books, 2013)
poetry.
Be afraid of
The wheelie-bin shark •• The Penguin in Lost Property: Animal Poems
Chomping your rubbish •• The Works, Ed. Paul Cookson (Macmillan by Jan Dean and Roger Stevens (Macmillan
Children’s Books, 2010) Children’s Books, 2014)
Watch out for The Works series of anthologies is a great
The sock-swallowing lobster source of many poems and excellent for
That rattles your wardrobe door. pulling out poems on specific themes, or
exemplifying specific forms.
•• The Truth About Parents by Paul Cookson,
David Harmer, Brian Moses, Roger Stevens Useful Links and
Resources
(Macmillan Children’s Books, 2009)
•• You Have Been Warned! A Collection of

Cautionary Verse, Chosen by Roger McGough
The Poetry Archive
(Oxford University Press, 2008)
A searchable website of poets and poems,
including a dedicated children’s section. As well
•• What Rhymes With Sneeze?, Ed. Roger Stevens as reading the poems you can listen to audio
(A&C Black, 2012) recordings read by the poets themselves, hear
A collection of rhyming poems with interviews with poets or be led on a guided tour
examples from classic and contemporary through the collection with writers showing you
poets as well as tips for writing rhyming their favourite poems.
poems. www.poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive
•• When Dad Scored A Goal In The Garden,

Compiled by John Foster (Oxford University The Poetry Foundation
Press, 2014) The Poetry Foundation website hosts lots of
poems and recordings online, but also has a very
useful, and searchable, glossary of poetic terms.
www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/glossary-
terms
The Poetry Library

Located in the Southbank Centre in London, this
is the most comprehensive collection of modern
poetry books and magazines. The Children’s Zone
of their website includes advice on writing and a
list of poetry competitions for young people.
www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/learning/children/
The Poetry Zone

The Poetry Zone publishes children’s poems
online and can be useful to show children what
others their age are writing. It also hosts book
reviews by children, recommended reads, lesson
plans for teachers and interviews with poets.
www.poetryzone.co.uk
32 © 2014 POETRY SOCIETY & THE AUTHOR/S

DISTRIBUTION AUTHORISED FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY
EDUCATIONADMIN@POETRYSOCIETY.ORG.UK
Poetry Train
Poetry Train is a collection of activities, poems and advice for teaching poetry in
primary schools. The activities contained are based on the Poetry Society’s Poetry Train
programme which worked with initial teacher training institutions. Poets David Harmer
and Roger Stevens share some of the proven approaches they developed through this
work. The activities and guidance within are a useful starting point for any primary
teacher looking to introduce poetry to their classroom.
•• Six activities for Key Stages 1 and 2
•• Includes poems by Carol Ann Duffy, Jackie Kay, James Carter and many more
•• Includes a reading list and useful links and resources
A free resource for primary school teachers

•• Fully photocopiable and downloadable at
www.poetrysociety.org.uk/education
‘It is essential to foster an enthusiasm for poetry as

children move through their primary education’
Roger McGough

The Essential Guide To Using Poetry in The Classroom at Key Stages 1 and 2

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The essential guide to using poetry in

the classroom at Key Stages 1 and 2

Teach, Inspire and Learn with the Poetry Society 2

Lower KS2 Activities

Upper KS2 Activities

© 2014 POETRY SOCIETY & THE AUTHOR/S 1

David Harmer Roger Stevens

She soars about.

Yes, she’s grumpy.

Anyone seen my DRAGON?...

First published in Hey, Little Bug! Poems for Little

Anyone seen my DRAGON?

Begin by writing on the whiteboard or flip chart:

When they have finished, ask some of the children

Reproduced by permission of the author.

Both poems reproduced by permission of the author.

My baby brother makes so much noise

Reproduced by permission of the author.

Haiku My baby brother is as loud as a train

Part Two Assonance

Be very afraid indeed

•• You Have Been Warned! A Collection of

•• When Dad Scored A Goal In The Garden,

The Poetry Library

The Poetry Zone

32 © 2014 POETRY SOCIETY & THE AUTHOR/S

A free resource for primary school teachers

‘It is essential to foster an enthusiasm for poetry as

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