Forms of Poetry and Performance
Recognise different forms of poetry (free verse, narrative poetry, haiku) and discuss their features; prepare poems and play scripts to read aloud and perform with understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action
Suggested ages 7–10
Learning journey
Your child is developing deeper reading skills — identifying main ideas across multiple paragraphs, making inferences about characters and themes, and understanding how authors use language and text features to create meaning and effect.
Evidence of understanding
- Name at least two different forms of poetry and describe a feature of each (e.g., 'narrative poetry tells a story', 'free verse does not have a regular rhyme or rhythm')
- Recognise the form of a given poem and explain how you identified it (e.g., 'This is a narrative poem because it has characters and a plot')
- Prepare and perform a poem or play script extract showing understanding through changes in intonation, volume, and expression
Assessment prompt
When Forms of Poetry and Performance reads a poem aloud, do they change their voice to match the mood — reading excitedly for a lively poem or quietly for a sad one — rather than reading it flat?
Standards alignment
Learn poetry by heart
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 2
Prepare poems and plays for performance
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 2
Prepare poems and play scripts
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 2
Recognise forms of poetry
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 2