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Primary English · Year 2Chapter 9 · Reading poems
Year 2 · Chapter 9

Reading poems

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Find the rhyming words in a poem, and the lines that rhyme
  • Find a line that comes back again in a poem, and say what pattern it makes
  • Say which words I like best in a poem, and give a reason
  • Learn a short poem by heart, two lines at a time
  • Read a poem with expression, using the question and exclamation marks to help me

You should already know

  • Describing words and action words (Chapters 5 and 6)
  • Statements, questions, exclamations and commands, with full stops and question marks (Chapters 6 and 7)
  • Reading aloud with a grown-up, and talking about stories (Chapter 8)

Where this leads

  • Reading non-fiction (Chapter 10)
  • Writing stories with a beginning, middle and end (Chapter 11)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 1 English, Year 2. Content: Recognise simple recurring literary language in poems: rhyme, rhythm, repeated lines and patterns, Discuss favourite words and phrases, Learn a short poem by heart, and recite it with appropriate intonation.

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWhich word is a describing word in this list: happy, run or dog?
2
FWrite the plural of puppy, which means more than one puppy.
3
FWrite did not as one short word with an apostrophe.
4
FWhich kind of sentence is this? What a lovely poem! Choose statement, question, exclamation or command.
5
FWrite the word that is spelled b-e-c-a-u-s-e.
9.1

Rhyme and rhythm

Year 2
Recognise rhyme and rhythm in a poem
Video lesson: Rhyme and rhythmComing soon
A quiet wood. Poems often have rhymes and a beat, like a clap.

A rhyme is when two words end with the same sound. Poets use rhyme so that a poem sounds good.

Rhyming words can look different. White and bright rhyme, because both end with the same sound.

A beat is one clap in a word. Some words have one beat, and some have more. A poem has a beat too, so it is fun to say.

Read Snow Day with a grown-up. Find the last word of each line. Lines 1 and 2 rhyme. Lines 3 and 4 rhyme. Lines 5 and 6 rhyme.

Snow Day

Snow is falling, soft and white.
It covers the garden, clean and bright.
We wrap up warm in scarves and hats,
Then run outside, past sleepy cats.
We roll the snow into a ball,
And build a snowman, big and tall.

Snow is falling on the garden.

Key ideas

  • A rhyme is two words that end with the same sound.
  • Rhyme words can be spelled differently, such as white and bright.
  • A grown-up reads the rhyme words aloud, so you can hear the match.
  • A beat is one clap in a word. Some words have one beat, and some have more.
Worked example 9.1.1
Line 1 ends with white. Which word at the end of line 2 rhymes with it?

Method. Rhyming words end with the same sound. Find the end word that matches.

  1. Find the end word of line 1. This is the word we want to rhyme with.
    white
  2. Find the end word of line 2. Look at the very end of the line.
    bright
  3. Compare the endings. Both words end with the same sound, even if the spelling looks different.
    white and bright end with the same sound
  4. Write the answer.
    bright

Check. Check it against the poem. ✓

Watch out. Look at the sound at the end, not the first letter. A grown-up can read both words aloud.

Worked example 9.1.2
Line 3 ends with hats. Which word at the end of line 4 rhymes with it?

Method. Rhyming words end with the same sound. Find the end word that matches.

  1. Find the end word of line 3. This is the word we want to rhyme with.
    hats
  2. Find the end word of line 4. Look at the very end of the line.
    cats
  3. Compare the endings. Both words end with the same sound, even if the spelling looks different.
    hats and cats end with the same sound
  4. Write the answer.
    cats

Check. Check it against the poem. ✓

Watch out. Look at the sound at the end, not the first letter. A grown-up can read both words aloud.

Worked example 9.1.3
How many beats does the word snowman have? Write the number.

Method. A beat is one part of a word that you can clap. Split the word into its beats, then count them.

  1. Split the word into beats. Each beat is one piece of the word.
    snow · man
  2. Count the beats. Count one for each piece.
    2 beats
  3. Write the answer.
    2

Check. Clap the beats with a grown-up, and check you get 2. ✓

Watch out. Say the word slowly, and clap once for each piece.

Watch out

Watch out: words that start the same do not always rhyme. Snow and snowman start the same, but they do not rhyme. Look at the end of the word.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Read the poem aloud with your child, and point to the last word of each line. Ask: “Which word rhymes with white?” Let your child find the answer, then look at the spelling together. Rhyme words can look different, so say the words aloud too.

Exercise 9A  Rhyme and rhythm in Snow Day

1
FWhat is the last word of line 5?
?Read line 5 to thevery end.
2
FLine 5 ends with ball. Which word at the end of line 6 rhymes with it?
3
FWhich word rhymes with light? Choose night, garden or snow.
?Say light, thenlisten to the end.
4
FWhich word rhymes with snow? Choose go, cat or tall.
5
FWhich word does not rhyme with the others: ball, tall or cats?
6
FDo these pairs rhyme? Write Yes or No.
(a)white and bright
(b)play and grey
(c)hats and tall
(d)ball and tall
7
FHow many beats does rabbit have? Write the number.
8
FHow many beats does elephant have? Write the number.
9
FWhich word has one beat: snowman, cat or garden?
10
PSJoe says white and night do not rhyme. Is Joe right? Explain.
?Look at the end ofeach word.
11
RExplain how you know that hats and cats rhyme.
12
FWrite a word that rhymes with ball.
13
RWhy do poets use rhyme? Give one reason.
9.2

Repeated lines and refrains

Year 2
Find lines that come back in a poem, and the patterns they make
Video lesson: Repeated lines and refrainsComing soon
A beach, with sand and the sea. Some poems come back to the same line.

Some poems repeat a line. A line that comes back with exactly the same words is a repeated line. A repeated line is one kind of pattern, and it helps us remember a poem.

Read Down on the Beach with a grown-up. Line 1 comes back again as line 5.

Stories repeat language too. Many traditional tales start with the same words: Once upon a time.

Down on the Beach

Down on the beach, we dig and play.
We build a castle, tall and grey.
We hunt for shells along the shore,
And fill our buckets, one or more.
Down on the beach, we dig and play.
The waves come in, then slip away.

A shell on the beach. Shells are on the sand, as the poem says.

Key ideas

  • A repeated line comes back with exactly the same words.
  • A pattern is something that happens again and again, like a repeated line.
  • Repeated lines help us remember a poem, and join in with it.
  • Many traditional tales start with Once upon a time.
Worked example 9.2.1
Line 1 comes back again. Which line has exactly the same words?

Method. Find the line with exactly the same words as line 1.

  1. Read line 1. Check every word of the line.
    Down on the beach, we dig and play.
  2. Compare it with the other lines. A repeated line has exactly the same words.
    line 1 = line 5
  3. Write the answer.
    Line 5

Check. Check it against the poem. ✓

Watch out. Check every word, including the small ones.

Worked example 9.2.2
How many lines of Down on the Beach have the words Down on the beach, we dig and play?

Method. Look at the poem and count how many lines have the same words.

  1. Read line 1. Look for the same words later in the poem.
    Down on the beach, we dig and play.
  2. Find the lines with the same words. Line 5 has exactly the same words as line 1.
    lines 1 and 5
  3. Count them. Count each line that has these words.
    1, 5
  4. Write the answer.
    2

Check. Check it against the poem. ✓

Watch out. Count the lines that have the words. Check every word.

Worked example 9.2.3
Which words do many traditional tales start with?

Method. Think about the stories you know.

  1. Think about how stories begin. Many traditional tales start in the same way.
    Once upon a time
  2. Say the words in order. These are the first words of many stories.
    Once upon a time
  3. Write the answer.
    Once upon a time

Check. Also accept: Once upon a time, as the first words of a tale. ✓

Watch out. Look for the words that a story often starts with.

Watch out

Watch out: a line that starts the same is not always a repeat. Check every word before you say a line comes back.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Read the poem with your child and clap each time a line comes back. Ask: “Is this line new, or is it one we have heard before?” Then ask your child to say the repeated line with you.

Exercise 9B  Repeated lines in Down on the Beach

1
FWrite the first three words of line 1.
2
FWhich line tells us we build a castle?
3
FWhat is the last word of line 3?
4
FLine 3 ends with shore. Which word at the end of line 4 rhymes with it?
5
FLine 1 ends with play. Which word at the end of line 2 rhymes with it?
6
FWhat do the waves do in line 6?
7
FIs line 5 the same as line 1? Write Yes or No.
8
FWhich two lines are the repeated pair in Down on the Beach?
9
PSTom says the poem has no repeated lines. Is he right? Explain.
10
PSWhich line of the poem is about the waves?
11
FWhat is the last word of line 6?
12
RWhy might a poet repeat a line? Give one reason.
13
RWrite a new last line for the poem that ends with a word that rhymes with play.
End with a word thatsounds like play.
9.3

Favourite words and phrases

Year 2
Discuss favourite words and phrases in a poem
Video lesson: Favourite words and phrasesComing soon
A playground after the rain. Puddles are good to splash in, with a grown-up.

Everyone has a favourite word. It is a word you like to say, hear or read.

Some words sound like the thing they describe. These are sound words. Splish and splash are sound words.

A phrase is a few words that go together, such as wellies on.

Read Puddles with a grown-up. Say the sound words with a big voice, and say the phrases with a happy face.

Puddles

Splish and splash along the lane,
Squelch and squish in the rain.
Wellies on, we jump and stomp,
Plop! goes the puddle. Let’s romp!

Rain makes puddles in the lane.

Key ideas

  • A favourite word is a word you like the most. Say why you like it.
  • A sound word shows a sound, like plop or splash.
  • A phrase is a few words that go together.
  • Any word from the poem can be your favourite. There is no wrong answer, but give a reason.
Worked example 9.3.1
Find the sound word in line 4.

Method. Find the sound word in line 4.

  1. Find line 4. Count the lines from the top of the poem.
    Plop! goes the puddle. Let’s romp!
  2. Find the words that answer the question. Plop is a sound word, and it sounds like a drop of water.
    “plop”
  3. Write the answer.
    Plop

Check. Also accept: plop!. ✓

Watch out. Answer from the words of the poem, not from what you think might happen.

Worked example 9.3.2
Which two action words tell us what we do in line 3?

Method. Find the action words in line 3, then write the two of them.

  1. Find line 3. Count the lines from the top.
    Wellies on, we jump and stomp,
  2. Look for the action words. Action words tell us what we do: jump and stomp.
    jump   stomp
  3. Write the answer.
    jump and stomp

Check. Also accept: jump, stomp. ✓

Watch out. Action words are doing words. Write them as they are in the line.

Worked example 9.3.3
Find a phrase in line 3 that tells us what we wear.

Method. Find the phrase in line 3 that tells us what we wear.

  1. Find line 3. Count the lines from the top of the poem.
    Wellies on, we jump and stomp,
  2. Find the words that answer the question. The phrase Wellies on tells us what we put on our feet.
    “Wellies on”
  3. Write the answer.
    Wellies on

Check. Also accept: wellies on. ✓

Watch out. Answer from the words of the poem, not from what you think might happen.

Watch out

Watch out: a sound word is one that sounds like the thing it describes. Lane is not a sound word, but splash is.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Read the poem with your child, and let them say the sound words loudly. Ask: “What is your favourite word? Why do you like it?” Accept any answer that has a reason. Then let your child make up a sound word of their own.

Exercise 9C  Favourite words and phrases in Puddles

1
FWhich word in line 1 is a sound word?
Find a word thatsounds like water.
2
FWhich sound word in line 2 sounds like wet mud?
3
FWhat is the last word of line 2?
4
FLine 2 ends with rain. Which word at the end of line 1 rhymes with it?
5
FWrite the two action words in line 3.
6
FWhat is the last word of line 4?
7
FWhich word in line 3 is a kind of rubber boot?
8
PSWhich line tells us the puddle makes a plop?
9
RWrite your favourite word from the poem. Give one reason.
10
PSMia says the poem is about a trip to the seaside. Is she right? Explain.
11
FWhich phrase in line 4 is a happy invitation to play?
12
RWhy do you think the poet chose the word squelch? Give one reason.
13
RWrite your own sound word for a dog shaking off water.
9.4

Learning a poem by heart

Year 2
Learn a short poem by heart, and recite it
Video lesson: Learning a poem by heartComing soon
A bedroom, a cosy place to learn a poem before sleep.

To learn a poem by heart, you say it so many times that you can say it without looking. Learn two lines at a time, then add more lines.

Rhyme helps. When you know the end word of one line, the rhyme tells you the end word of the next.

Read My Teddy together. Then learn lines 1 and 2 first.

My Teddy

My teddy sits upon my bed,
With a soft brown coat and a sleepy head.
He keeps me warm all through the night,
And holds me close till morning light.
“Goodnight, teddy,” I say, and then,
I hug him tight, and yawn again.

A teddy on the bed, with a soft brown coat.

Learn it together (for the grown-up).

1. Read the poem twice. Point to each line as you read it.

2. Say lines 1 and 2 with your child. Then your child says them on their own.

3. Add lines 3 and 4, then say lines 1 to 4 together.

4. Add lines 5 and 6. Then say the whole poem, with the book closed.

Key ideas

  • To learn a poem by heart, say it again and again.
  • Learn two lines at a time, then add more lines.
  • Rhyme words help you remember the next line.
  • Say the poem with a grown-up first, and then on your own.
Worked example 9.4.1
Write line 3 of My Teddy.

Method. Count down the poem to line 3. Do not count the title.

  1. Count the lines from the top. Each row of words is one line.
    1 · 2 · 3
  2. Read line 3 aloud. Say it with a grown-up to check you have the words right.
    He keeps me warm all through the night,
  3. Write the answer.
    He keeps me warm all through the night,

Check. Check it against the poem. ✓

Watch out. Do not count the title as a line.

Worked example 9.4.2
Finish the line: My teddy sits upon my ___.

Method. Read the line with the gap. The word in the gap must rhyme with the end word of its partner line.

  1. Read the line with the gap. The gap is where the last word goes.
    My teddy sits upon my ___,
  2. Look at line 2, its partner line. Its end word is head, so the gap word must rhyme with it.
    partner end word: head
  3. Put the word in the gap and read the line. Check that it makes sense as well as rhymes.
    My teddy sits upon my bed,
  4. Write the answer.
    bed

Check. Check it against the poem. ✓

Watch out. The word must fit the meaning of the line, as well as the rhyme.

Worked example 9.4.3
Which line rhymes with line 3?

Method. Find the pair of lines that rhyme with line 3.

  1. Find the end word of line 3. That is the word we want to rhyme with.
    night
  2. Look at the other lines in pairs. Lines rhyme in pairs in this poem. Find the partner.
    partner: line 4, ends with light
  3. Check the sound. Both words end with the same sound.
    night and light
  4. Write the answer.
    Line 4

Check. Check it against the poem. ✓

Watch out. Check the end word, not the start of the line.

Watch out

Watch out: do not try to learn the whole poem in one go. Learn two lines, say them, then learn two more and join them up.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Say one line, and let your child say it back. Then say two lines together. Hide the book, and ask: “What is the next line?” If your child gets stuck, say the end word of the line before, such as bed, and let them find the rest.

Exercise 9D  Learning My Teddy by heart

1
FWrite line 1 of the poem.
2
FFinish the line: With a soft brown coat and a sleepy ___.
3
FFinish the line: He keeps me warm all through the ___.
4
FFinish the line: And holds me close till morning ___.
5
FWhich line has the word Goodnight in it?
6
FWhat is the last word of line 5?
7
FWhich word at the end of line 6 rhymes with then?
8
FWrite the last word of each line.
(a)Line 2
(b)Line 4
(c)Line 6
9
PSPut these lines in the right order. Write the letters, first line to last.
(a) I hug him tight, and yawn again.   (b) My teddy sits upon my bed.   (c) He keeps me warm all through the night.
10
PSSam says you can learn a whole poem in one go. Is he right?
11
PSWrite the first word of line 4.
12
RWhy do rhyme words help us learn a poem? Give one reason.
13
RWhich two lines would you learn first, and why?
9.5

Reading a poem with expression

Year 2
Recite a poem with appropriate expression
Video lesson: Reading a poem with expressionComing soon
A classroom, where we can read a poem aloud with a grown-up.

Expression is how we read a poem: happy, sad, excited or calm. The marks at the end of a line help us.

A question mark (?) asks something. An exclamation mark (!) shows a strong feeling, such as joy or surprise. A full stop (.) tells us to stop and pause.

Read Where Is My Hat? with a grown-up. Find the marks at the end of each line.

Where Is My Hat?

Where is my hat? Where can it be?
Is it under the bed? Is it up a tree?
Oh no! It is not under the chair!
Look on the hook, by the door, over there!
Hooray! I found it, and I am glad!
Now off to the park with my dad!

A hat, waiting to be found.

Key ideas

  • A question mark (?) means the line asks something.
  • An exclamation mark (!) means the line shows a strong feeling.
  • A full stop (.) means stop and pause.
  • Read the poem with a grown-up. Try a happy way, then a worried way.
Worked example 9.5.1
Which mark is at the end of line 1?

Method. Look at the very last mark of line 1.

  1. Find line 1. Count the lines from the top.
    Where is my hat? Where can it be?
  2. Look at the last mark. The mark at the end is ?.
    the mark is ?
  3. Write the answer.
    question mark

Check. Check it against the poem. ✓

Watch out. A question mark (?) asks something. An exclamation mark (!) shows a strong feeling.

Worked example 9.5.2
Which line shows joy?

Method. Read each line of the poem, and find the line with the words we want.

  1. Read the lines. Look for the words in the question.
    “Hooray”
  2. Find line 5. The words are in this line.
    Hooray! I found it, and I am glad!
  3. Write the answer.
    Line 5

Check. Check it against the poem. ✓

Watch out. Count the lines from the top to check the number.

Worked example 9.5.3
How many full stops (.) are in the poem?

Method. Read the whole poem, then count the full stops.

  1. Read each line. Look for the full stops, and count each one once.
    0 in the poem
  2. Add up the count. There are no full stops in the poem.
    none
  3. Write the answer.
    None

Check. Check it against the poem. ✓

Watch out. Read the whole poem before you count. Each mark is counted once.

Watch out

Watch out: a line can be a question and still be read with feeling. Look at the mark at the very end of the line.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Read the poem slowly, and let your child choose how each line sounds: a question, a happy shout or a worried whisper. Then ask your child to read it to you, and say which line was their favourite to read.

Exercise 9E  Reading Where Is My Hat? with expression

1
FWhich mark is at the end of line 4?
?Look at the very endof the line.
2
FWhich mark is at the end of line 2?
3
FWhich line shows a worried feeling?
Find the words thatshow worry.
4
FWhich word at the end of line 1 rhymes with tree?
5
FLine 3 ends with chair. Which word at the end of line 4 rhymes with it?
6
FLine 5 ends with glad. Which word at the end of line 6 rhymes with it?
7
FHow many question marks are in the poem?
8
FHow many exclamation marks are in the poem?
9
PSAli says every line ends with a full stop. Is he right? Explain.
10
PSWrite the first word of line 5.
11
PSWhich line tells us where the hat is found?
12
RWhich way fits line 5 best: happy, sad or worried? Explain.
13
RWrite a question you could ask about a lost hat. End it with a question mark.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
RhymeTwo words that end with the same sound rhyme. Rhyme words can be spelled differently.
Rhythm and beatsA beat is one clap in a word. Poems have a beat, so they are fun to say.
Repeated linesA line that comes back with exactly the same words is a repeated line. It makes a pattern.
Favourite wordsA favourite word is one you like. Sound words, like splash, show a sound. Say why you like it.
Learning by heartLearn two lines at a time. Say them again and again, then add more lines.
ExpressionThe question mark and the exclamation mark help us read a line with the right feeling.

Can you…?

  • I can find the words that rhyme in a poem
  • I can find a line that comes back again, and say what pattern it makes
  • I can name a sound word, and a favourite word, and say why I like it
  • I can learn two lines of a poem by heart, and then add more
  • I can read a poem with expression, using the question and exclamation marks

Key terms

rhyme
two words that end with the same sound
beat
one clap in a word, or one part of a poem that goes with a clap
line
one row of words in a poem
repeated line
a line that comes back with exactly the same words
pattern
something that happens again and again
sound word
a word that sounds like the thing it describes, such as splash or plop
phrase
a few words that go together
by heart
learned so well that you can say it without looking
expression
the feeling we put into a poem when we read it aloud

Exercise 9Z  Check-up

1
Line 2 of Snow Day ends with bright. Which word at the end of line 1 rhymes with it?
2
Which two lines of Down on the Beach are the same?
3
Which sound word in Puddles sounds like a drop of water?
4
Line 3 of My Teddy ends with night. Which word at the end of line 4 rhymes with it?
5
Which mark is at the end of line 3 of Where Is My Hat?
6
Mia says Snow Day has 8 lines. Is she right? Explain.
7
Give one reason why a repeated line helps a reader.
8
Which line of Snow Day tells us what we wear?
9
Write the words that many traditional tales start with.
10
Explain how you know that bed and head rhyme.

Total 14 marks. Allow about 14 minutes.

Exercise 9X  End-of-chapter quiz

1
FWhich word rhymes with play: grey, green or blue?[1 mark]
2
FWhich line of Snow Day ends with the word ball?[1 mark]
3
FWhich word is at the end of both line 1 and line 5 of Down on the Beach?[1 mark]
4
FLine 3 of Puddles ends with stomp. Which word at the end of line 4 rhymes with it?[1 mark]
5
RWrite one sound word from Puddles. Say why it fits.[2 marks]
6
FWrite the last word of line 1 and line 2 of My Teddy.[2 marks]
(a)Line 1
(b)Line 2
7
FWhich line of Where Is My Hat? shows that the person is glad?[1 mark]
8
RTom says Down on the Beach has no rhymes. Is he right? Explain.[2 marks]
9
FWhat do we call a line that comes back again in a poem?[1 mark]
10
RWrite a new line that ends with a word that rhymes with play.[2 marks]
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