Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study HubBrowse Year 2 English Guides

Year 2 - English

Responding to 'What Did You Do at School Today?' by James Carter and other poems

Humorous poetry

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and respond to a variety of humorous poems by different poets. They will learn about the poets, explore the meaning and themes within each poem and identify the poetic devices used. Pupils will practise reading each poem aloud with expression to convey meaning.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to give a personal response to different poems and read them aloud.

Key Notes

  • James Carter is a British poet who is mostly known for his entertaining poetry written for children.
  • 'What Did You Do at School Today?' is a humorous poem.
  • The poem is written as a conversation between a child and their mother about what the child did at school.
  • The poet uses a particular layout and structure in the poem to show the reader that it is a conversation.
  • 'Wide Open' is humorous poem by Rachel Rooney.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • mischievous: showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way
  • humorous: something that makes a person laugh or smile because it is funny or silly
  • conversation: a verbal exchange of ideas, thoughts, or information between two or more people

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may find it hard to emphasise the different people in the conversation when reading aloud.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

James Carter is a British poet who is mostly known for his entertaining poetry written for children. 'What Did You Do at School Today?' is a humorous poem.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'mischievous'

showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may find it hard to emphasise the different people in the conversation when reading aloud. Correction: You may wish to act out the poem using two people so the pupils can see it performed as a conversation. Model changing your voice and using gestures to show the pupils how this has an effect.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 2 English guide library.