15 anthologies of beautiful poems to inspire young children. Each book supports a variety of topics from the seasons to animals to festivals. Traditional rhymes are included as well as more modern poetry. Titles may vary due to publishing updates.

Learning Outcomes:

Year 1 Reading

Pupils should be taught to develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:

• Listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently

• Being encouraged to link what they read or hear read to their own experiences

• Recognising and joining in with predictable phrases

• Learning to appreciate rhymes and poems, and to recite some by heart

• Discussing word meanings, linking new meanings to those already known

Year 2 Reading

• Continue to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart, appreciating these and reciting some, with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear

• Recognise simple recurring literary language in stories and poetry

• Discuss and clarify the meanings of words, linking new meanings to known vocabulary

• Discuss their favourite words and phrases

• Continue to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart, appreciating these and reciting some, with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear

• Participate in discussion about books, poems and other works that are read to them and those that they can read for themselves, taking turns and listening to what others say

• Explain and discuss their understanding of books, poems and other material, both those that they listen to and those that they read for themselves.

Year 2

• Teachers should make sure that pupils listen to and discuss a wide range of stories, poems, plays and information books; this should include whole books. The sooner that pupils can read well and do so frequently, the sooner they will be able to increase their vocabulary, comprehension and their knowledge across the wider curriculum.

Letters and Sounds Phase 1 Aspect 4

• It is important for children to experience a rich repertoire of poems, rhymes and songs. They need to build a stock of rhymes through hearing them repeated in different contexts.

Talking About Sounds

• Repeat favourite rhymes and poems in different voices together (e.g. whispering, growling, shouting, squeaking) and discuss the differences.

Phase 6 (Year 2)

• In reading simple poems, children need to adapt to and explore the effects of poetic language, continuing to develop their understanding of rhythm, rhyme and alliteration.