Year 4 English · Reading poetry and plays aloud · Summary
Year 4 English Reading poetry and plays aloud: summary and key words
Part of the Year 4 English reading poetry and plays aloud chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Chapter summary
| Skill | Method |
|---|---|
| Rhyme scheme | Give each line ending a letter from its spelling: A for the first, B for the next new ending. ABAB, AABB, AABBA. |
| Stanza | A group of lines in a poem, often separated by a space. Count the groups to find the number of stanzas. |
| Strong beat | A bold word in this book. Count the bold words to find the beats in a line; syllables are a different count. |
| Simile | A comparison using like or as, such as like a grey sheet. |
| Metaphor | A comparison that says one thing is another, with no like or as. |
| Personification | A human action or body part given to something that is not human, such as the sun yawns. |
| Word choice and structure | The exact words, and how the lines and stanzas are arranged, shape the effect on the reader. |
| Forms of poetry | Free verse (no regular rhyme); narrative (tells a story); limerick (five lines, AABBA); haiku (three lines, 5-7-5). |
| Expression | Tone, volume, pace and pause. Punctuation gives the clues: ! shouts, ? rises, . and ... pause. |
| Play script | A cast list, speakers in capitals, expression in brackets and stage directions in italics. Stage directions are not spoken. |
| Perform in role | Think about the character's wants and feelings, and say the lines as that character would. |
Can you…?
- I can work out the rhyme scheme of a stanza from the spelling of its line endings
- I can count the strong beats in a line, and find a line that breaks the pattern
- I can name a simile, a metaphor or personification, and explain its effect
- I can explain how a word choice or a single-line stanza affects the reader
- I can name a free verse poem, a narrative poem, a limerick and a haiku from their features
- I can count the syllables of a haiku line that is split by hyphens
- I can read a poem aloud with expression, using its punctuation
- I can read a play script, using the speakers, expression and stage directions
- I can perform a short part in role, and say why my character speaks as I do
Key terms
- stanza
- a group of lines in a poem, often separated by a space from the next group
- verse
- a group of lines in a poem; in this book, a stanza
- rhyme
- line endings spelt in the same way, such as slow and grow
- rhyme scheme
- the letters that show the rhyme pattern of a stanza, such as ABAB
- rhythm
- the pattern of strong and weak beats in a line
- strong beat
- a part of a line that is said more firmly; in this book, a bold word
- simile
- a comparison using like or as, such as like a grey sheet
- metaphor
- a comparison that says one thing is another, with no like or as
- personification
- giving a human action or body part to something that is not human
- imagery
- words that create a picture in the reader's mind
- free verse
- a poem with no regular rhyme or rhythm
- narrative poem
- a poem that tells a story, with characters and events in order
- limerick
- a funny poem of five lines with the rhyme scheme AABBA
- haiku
- a short poem of three lines, traditionally built on 5, 7 and 5 syllables
- expression
- the way you say words: tone, volume, pace and pause
- tone
- the mood of the voice, such as calm, excited or worried
- cast list
- the list of characters at the start of a play script
- speaker
- the character who says a line, named in capitals before the line
- stage direction
- an instruction in italics or brackets that is not spoken aloud, telling the actor what to do
- perform in role
- to act as a character, speaking and moving as that character would