You will learn
- Say what a poem is.
- Find lines and rhyming words.
- Tell how a poem makes them feel.
- Say a short poem aloud.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- A poem is written in lines.
- Many poems rhyme, but not all.
- Poems use special words to show feelings.
- We can read poems aloud with feeling.
Words to know
writing in lines that often rhymes
one row of a poem
a group of lines
an emotion
1. Discover: The rain poem
Here is a small poem:
Rain on the roof,
Tap, tap, tap.
Rain on the road,
Splash, splash, splash.
I love the rain!
Ama says, “It sounds like rain!” Kofi says, “It makes me feel happy.”
Think: How does the poem make you feel?
2. Understand: Poems
Idea 1: What is a poem?
A poem is writing in short lines. A group of lines is a verse. Many poems have rhymes, and some have a strong beat.
Idea 2: Special words
Poems use sound words like tap, tap, tap and describing words to help us hear and see.
Idea 3: Feelings
Poems make us feel something: happy, calm, excited, sad. We can say how a poem makes us feel.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Find the lines
How many lines are in the rain poem?
- Count the rows.
- Count.
Answer: 5
Example 2 (We do it together): Sound words
Which words sound like rain?
- Find the repeated words.
- Say them.
Answer: tap, tap, tap and splash, splash, splash
Example 3 (You try): Feeling
How does the poem make you feel?
Show the steps and answer
- Think about the words.
- Say your feeling.
Answer: happy (any honest feeling)
Did you know?
Some poems do not rhyme at all, but they still have a beat and special words.
Why this matters
Poems help you enjoy words and sounds and express feelings.
4. Explore: Say it with feeling
Read a poem aloud.
- Read the rain poem.
- Say the sound words loudly or softly.
- Add actions.
- Say how it makes you feel.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can read a poem with feeling.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The poem has ___ lines.
- The sound words are ___.
- It makes me feel ___.
- My favourite line is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. How many lines?
5
Question 2. Sound words?
tap and splash
Question 3. How does it feel?
happy
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- A poem is written in ___.
- A group of lines is a ___.
- Tap, tap, tap is a ___ word.
- Poems can make us feel ___.
- Do all poems rhyme?
Level 2: Grow
- What does the rain do on the roof?
- What does the rain do on the road?
- Say your favourite line.
Level 3: Stretch
- Write a two-line poem about the sun.
- Why do poets use sound words?
- Kofi says poems must always rhyme. Is he right?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Read the rain poem to a family member with feeling.
Show a sample answer
I read it softly for tap and loudly for splash.
Another one. Write a three-line poem about your pet or a place.
Show a sample answer
My cat is soft. She purrs. She sleeps.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Say it with feeling.
Fix: Not all poems rhyme.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what a poem is.
- I can find lines and sound words.
- I can say how a poem feels.
- I can read a poem aloud.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Poems are in lines.
- Groups of lines are verses.
- Sound words help us hear.
- Poems show feelings.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Story characters. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is a poem? [1 mark]
- What is a verse? [1 mark]
- Name two sound words from the rain poem. [2 marks]
- How does the poem make you feel? [1 mark]
- Explain how to read a poem aloud. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- writing in lines, often with rhyme and beat [1]
- a group of lines [1]
- tap [1]; splash [1]
- a feeling with a reason [1]
- say the lines clearly [1]; use feeling [1]; use sound words and the beat [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- A poem is written in ___.
- A group of lines is a ___.
- Tap, tap, tap is a ___ word.
- How many lines in the rain poem?
- Poems make us feel ___.
- True or false: all poems rhyme.
- True or false: poems can use sound words.
- Write a two-line poem.
- Say your favourite line.
- Read a poem with feeling.
Homework
Read a short poem to a family member and say how it made you feel.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A poem is written in ___. | lines | 1 |
| 2. A group of lines is a ___. | verse | 1 |
| 3. Tap, tap, tap is a ___ word. | sound | 1 |
| 4. How many lines in the rain poem? | 5 | 1 |
| 5. Poems make us feel ___. | feelings | 1 |
| 6. True or false: all poems rhyme. | false | 1 |
| 7. True or false: poems can use sound words. | true | 1 |
| 8. Write a two-line poem. | two lines | 1 |
| 9. Say your favourite line. | a valid line | 1 |
| 10. Read a poem with feeling. | a spoken poem | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 lines; 2 verse; 3 sound; 4 feelings; 5 no. Level 2: 1 taps; 2 splashes; 3 a valid line. Level 3: 1 a two-line poem; 2 to help us hear the poem; 3 no, not always.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what a poem is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Find lines and rhyming words | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Tell how a poem makes them feel | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say a short poem aloud | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Saying a poem in a flat voice. Say it with feeling.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use a very short poem with pictures.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child enjoys short poems and how they sound. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Read poems together.
- Ask: how does it make you feel?
- Encourage making up poems.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what a poem is; find lines and rhyming words; tell how a poem makes them feel; say a short poem aloud.
Prerequisite knowledge. Nursery rhymes.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Read the rain poem aloud.
Explanation (10 min). Teach lines, verse and sound words.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise say it with feeling.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners share their poems.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How many lines? Which are sound words? How does it feel?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures and a two-line poem. Extension. Write a poem with a rhyme.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Saying a poem in a flat voice. Say it with feeling.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use a very short poem with pictures. Enrichment. Write a poem with three verses. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 1 » Reading: Literature. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RL.1.4 and RL.1.5 (explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information); Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (poetry). The poem in this lesson is an original poem written for this course. These sources informed the lesson.