08/06/20
Sick by Shel Silverstein
Click HERE if you can't see the video properly. It will take you to YouTube.
“I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
“I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I’m going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox
And there’s one more--that’s seventeen,
And don’t you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut--my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I’m sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button’s caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained,
My ‘pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a splinter in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What’s that? What’s that you say?
You say today is. . .Saturday?
Goodbye, I’m going out to play!”
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06/02/20
A few weeks ago, everybody was worried that the shops didn't have enough toilet paper. Here's a funny poem about it!
We’re Running Out of Toilet Paper
by Kenn Nesbitt
We’re running out of toilet paper.
Paper towels too.
We haven’t got much Kleenex left.
I’m not sure what we’ll do.
We tried to buy some yesterday.
We went to every shop,
but all the shelves were barren
from the bottom to the top.
We called our friends to see
if they had extra we could borrow,
but they said they have just enough
to last until tomorrow.
Our roll is almost empty now.
A solitary square
is hanging on the holder and
it’s way too small to share.
I hope we find some paper soon
or other kinds of wipers.
If not, I’m told I’ll have to use
my baby brother’s diapers.
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25/05/20
Allan Ahlberg is our poet this week. You might have read some of his books:
The Jolly Postman,
Each Peach Pear Plum,
My absolute favourite - Burglar Bill, and
The Halloween favourite - Funnybones: "On a dark, dark hill, there was a dark, dark town..."
Our poem this week is about a family. At times, everyone has disagreements with their family. This is a funny and dramatic poem about a family who had a food fight!
Emma Hackett’s Newsbook
By Allan Ahlberg
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Last night my mum
Got really mad
And threw a jam tart
At my dad.
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Dad lost his temper
Then with mother,
Threw one at her
And hit my brother.
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My brother thought
It was my sister,
Threw two at her
But somehow missed her.
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My sister,
She is only three,
Hurled four at him
And one at me!
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I said I wouldn’t
Stand for that,
Aimed one at her
And hit the cat.
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The cat jumped up
Like he’d been shot,
And landed
In the baby’s cot.
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The baby -
Quietly sucking his thumb -
Then started howling
For my mum.
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At which my mum
Got really mad,
And threw a Swiss roll
At my dad.
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Activity:As I read this poem, I could see a little movie of it in my head. This would be a great poem to visualize and illustrate. See the picture in your head, then draw the picture
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18/05/20
France is really famous for its delicious food - croissants, crepes, cheese, creme brulée, etc. Since we are learning about France this week, our poems are all about food! You will read about an ogre who calls over for dinner and a girl named Betty who met a yeti.
Activity: These poems are by the poet Kenn Nesbitt. In September we learned his poem "Welcome Back to School". There are dozens of food poems on his website. Your activity this week is to visit his website and find another poem that you enjoy. Visit it at: POETRY 4 KIDS
An Ogre Came over for Dinner
by Kenn Nesbitt
An ogre came over for dinner.
He showed up with ice cream and cake.
We thought, “It can’t hurt,
since he brought us dessert,”
so we asked him to join us for steak.
He crushed the first chair that he sat on.
He busted the table in two.
He ranted and raved
and was badly behaved,
like a rhino escaped from the zoo.
He smashed every plate in the kitchen.
He shattered each saucer and cup.
He broke every bowl.
He was out of control
as he ran around tearing things up.
He broke all the beds in our bedrooms.
He even demolished a door.
He cracked all the walls
in the stairways and halls,
and he left several holes in the floor.
And when he was done causing damage,
although we all wanted to scream,
he said, “That was fun
but I really must run.
I hope you enjoy the ice cream.”
Betty Met a Yeti
by Kenn Nesbitt
Betty met a yeti
in the mountains of Tibet.
She cooked him some spaghetti
and she baked him a baguette.
And when the food was ready
and the dishes all were set,
the yeti swallowed Betty
and said, “Mmmm. The best one yet.”
So that’s the end of Betty,
but you needn’t be upset
unless you meet a yeti
in the mountains of Tibet.
Then just stay calm and steady.
Don’t be nervous. Never fret.
And don’t cook him spaghetti
or, who knows what you might get?
11/05/20
Since you have now met Charlotte the spider from Charlotte's Web, I have a poem about spiders and flies for this week. Will the flies in this poem by luckier than the fly in the book?
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A Cobweb Made to Order
by Aunt Effie
A hungry Spider made a web
Of thread so very fine,
Your tiny fingers scarce could feel
The little slender line.
Round-about, and round-about,
And round-about it spun,
Straight across and back again,
Until the web was done.
Oh, what a pretty shining web
It was, when it was done!
The little flies all came to see
It hanging in the sun.
Round-about, and round-about,
And round-about they danced,
Across the web and back again
They darted and they glanced.
The hungry Spider sat and watched
The happy little flies;
It saw all round about its head,
It had so many eyes.
Round-about, and round-about,
And round-about they go,
Across the web and back again,
Now high—now low.
"I am hungry, very hungry,"
Said the Spider to a fly.
"If you were caught within the web,
You very soon should die."
But round-about, and round-about,
And round-about, once more,
Across the web and back again
They flitted as before.
For all the flies were much too wise
To venture near the Spider;
They flapped their little wings and flew
In circles rather wider.
Round-about, and round-about,
And round about went they,
Across the web and back again,
And then they flew away.
Activity: re-write the last verse to let the spider catch a fly! You could write this as a poem or a story.
05/05/20
Since a few of our subjects this week have a farm theme, I chose a fun farm poem for you.
Down on the Farm
We do things a little different
Down here on the farm,
With chickens in the kitchen
Not outside in the barn.
Pigs relax in the bedroom,
Not doing any harm.
Yes, we do it a little different
Down here on the farm.
We have cows over for dinner,
Every Thursday night.
It used to be more often
Before the big food fight!
The cows and horses don't get along
They try to chomp and bite.
That's why we had to cut it back
To only Thursday night.
The sheep pile into the truck,
Whenever we head to town.
They make us stop for ice-cream
And if we don’t, they frown.
When they get behind the wheel
They feel they're almost flying.
Those ice-cream loving woolly sheep
Insist we do the buying!
Yes, we do things a little different,
Down here on the farm.
With chickens inside and sheep that drive,
It’s all part of the charm.
All a team, except for the geese,
Who are known to raise alarm.
But we still are having a super time,
Down here on the farm.
Read, practise and enjoy the poem.
Activity: Choose another farm animal and add your own verse to the poem. For example: donkey, goat, duck, cat, dog, etc. What strange adventures will your animal have?
27/04/20
This week's poem is called The Table and the Chair by Edward Lear. You might have heard of one of Edward Lear's more famous poems: The Owl and the Pussycat.
The Table and the Chair is not the most exciting title for a poem but you'll find out they are no ordinary table and chair...
Before you listen to the poem, predict what will happen.
Click HERE to view on YouTube.
Read and practise the poem. Then try to say the poem along with the video below. You could also say the poem for your family.
Activity: Choose your favourite verse and illustrate it (draw a picture). This will use the skill of visualizing.
The Table and the Chair
I
Said the Table to the Chair,
'You can hardly be aware,
'How I suffer from the heat,
'And from chilblains on my feet!
'If we took a little walk,
'We might have a little talk!
'Pray let us take the air!'
Said the Table to the Chair.
II
Said the Chair unto the Table,
'Now you know we are not able!
'How foolishly you talk,
'When you know we cannot walk!'
Said the Table, with a sigh,
'It can do no harm to try,
'I've as many legs as you,
'Why can't we walk on two?'
III
So they both went slowly down,
And walked about the town
With a cheerful bumpy sound,
As they toddled round and round.
And everybody cried,
As they hastened to their side,
'See! the Table and the Chair
'Have come out to take the air!'
IV
But in going down an alley,
To a castle in a valley,
They completely lost their way,
And wandered all the day,
Till, to see them safely back,
They paid a Ducky-quack,
And a Beetle, and a Mouse,
Who took them to their house.
V
Then they whispered to each other,
'O delightful little brother!
'What a lovely walk we've taken!
'Let us dine on Beans and Bacon!'
So the Ducky, and the leetle
Browny-Mousy and the Beetle
Dined, and danced upon their heads
Till they toddled to their beds.
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20/04/20
This week's poem is The 32 Counties of Ireland.
Read and practise the poem. You could also say the poem for your family.
Activity:Try to find the 32 counties on a map. 32 Counties Map Quiz
Bonus activity: On RTE's Home School Hub, Múinteoir John will be doing a poetry lesson on Friday morning.
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32 Counties of Ireland
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We are Munster’s counties fair,
Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare,
Waterford, Tipperary, here we are,
Welcoming you from near and far.
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Leinster is beyond compare,
Dublin, Wicklow, Carlow, Kildare,
Wexford, Offaly, Laois, Kilkenny,
Longford and Louth are as good as any,
Meath, Westmeath and that is all,
Over now to a province small.
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Connacht is the smallest ‘oh’,
Galway, Leitrim and Mayo,
Roscommon, Sligo, that’s the lot,
Just one more verse for you we’ve got.
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We are Ulster’s counties nine,
Let’s forget the dividing line,
Donegal, Derry, Antrim, Down,
All our counties of renown,
Armagh, Monaghan and Tyrone,
Cavan, Fermanagh, now all are known.
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30/03/20
This week I thought we'd remind ourselves of one of our favourite poems: The Adventures of Isabel by Ogden Nash.
Read and practise the poem. Then try to say the poem along with the video below. You could also say the poem for your family.
Activity: Choose your favourite verse and illustrate it (draw a picture). This will use the skill of visualizing.
The Adventures of Isabel
by Ogden Nash
Isabel met an enormous bear,
Isabel, Isabel, didn't care;
The bear was hungry, the bear was ravenous,
The bear's big mouth was cruel and cavernous.
The bear said, Isabel, glad to meet you,
How do, Isabel, now I'll eat you!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry.
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She washed her hands and she straightened her hair up,
Then Isabel quietly ate the bear up.
Once in a night as black as pitch
Isabel met a wicked old witch.
The witch's face was cross and wrinkled,
The witch's gums with teeth were sprinkled.
Ho, ho, Isabel! The old witch crowed,
I'll turn you into an ugly toad!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She showed no rage and she showed no rancour,
But she turned the witch into milk and drank her.
Isabel met a hideous giant,
Isabel continued self-reliant.
The giant was hairy, the giant was horrid,
He had one eye in the middle of his forehead.
Good morning, Isabel, the giant said,
I'll grind your bones to make my bread.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She nibbled the zwieback that she always fed off,
And when it was gone, she cut the giant's head off.
Isabel met a troublesome doctor,
He punched and he poked till he really shocked her.
The doctor's talk was of coughs and chills
And the doctor's satchel bulged with pills.
The doctor said unto Isabel,
Swallow this, it will make you well.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She took those pills from the pill concocter,
And Isabel calmly cured the doctor.