RSRT Y4 L5 Pocket Book of Pocket Poems

Ready Steady Read Together

Pocket Book of Pocket Poems: Poetry Lesson 5

Quiz Time

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Questions about the book so far...

Picture Me

Which image is the best match for ‘drenched’?

Tick Me

Which best describes the themes of the poems from this unit?

Tick one:

A) family and relationships

B) nature and change

Check

C) love and loss

Click if correct

D) good versus evil

Match Me

Match each word with its correct definition:

3) nab

4) impressed

1) eaves

2) flutter

C) the part of a roof that overhangs the walls

B) to flap wings quickly and lightly

A) feeling admiration for someone or something

D) steals something quickly

Click if correct

Check

Link Me

Link each poem from the unit with the sentence which best describes it:

A) The quiet, overlooked moments of peace and calm are celebrated.

1) Spring Poem

2) Snow Today, Gone Tomorrow

B) The sunbright yellow light awakens the world.

C) A boy is so fascinated by an animal, he tries to act like one.

Check

3) Silences

Click if correct

D) The snow is thawing and the snowman is melting into slush.

4) Birdlife

Speaking Spotlight

TV Journalist

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TV Journalist

What have you noticed when…

Can you explain why…

What do you think about…

Why do you believe…

How do you feel about…

What might happen if…

Live Report: Simon the ‘Bird Boy’

Vocabulary

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Hover for definitions!

dew

centipede

despite

personal goal

swept

impede

Explore

From: Pocket Book of Pocket Poems by A. F. Harrold © 2025. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Let me read today's text

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Cobweb Mornings

When the dew is cold and diamonds glitter spiders complain about their tiny cold feet and their fly-less nets and how they aren’t really thirsty despite catching all the wets.

From: Pocket Book of Pocket Poems by A. F. Harrold © 2025. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Centipede

You can’t impede the scent of a centipede anymore than a centipede can. He’s tried to wash more often, in fact it’s a personal goal, but every time he turns on the tap he’s swept straight down the hole.

From: Pocket Book of Pocket Poems by A. F. Harrold © 2025. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Strategy Stop

Teach

Your turn

Practise & Apply

Use your text

Practise & Apply

1) Name two reasons the spider is complaining:

Accept reference to any two of the following:

• the spider’s feet are cold
• the spider has not caught any flies
• the spider has only ‘caught’ drops of water instead of food and is not even thirsty

Reveal Answer

2) In the poem Cobweb Mornings, what is the effect of the poet’s use of these terms:

diamonds

fly-less nets

the hole

Click on each term to reveal reasons

3) You can’t impede the scent of a centipede… Circle the word which best completes the sentence. The word ‘impede’ is closest in meaning to…

create.

disguise.

avoid.

hinder.

Reveal Answer

Practise & Apply

4) How are the poems Cobweb Mornings and Centipede similar? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Text Mark Evidence Cobweb Mornings – spiders complain Centipede – the scent of a centipede

Text Mark Evidence Cobweb Mornings – spiders complain (about their tiny cold feet) Centipede – he’s tried to wash more often - it’s a personal goal - every time he turns on the tap

both use personification / animals act or seem human

both are about minibeasts / small creatures / set in nature

Text Mark Evidence Cobweb Mornings – spiders complain about their tiny cold feet - flyless net - catching all the wets Centipede – he’s swept straight down the hole

both have challenges or problems

Text Mark Evidence Cobweb Mornings – spiders complain (about their tiny cold feet) Centipede – (every time he turns on the tap) he’s swept straight down the hole

both include humour

Text Mark Evidence Cobweb Mornings – when the dew is cold - catching all the wets Centipede – he’s tried to wash - every time he turns on the tap he’s swept straight down the hole

both refer to water

Text Mark Evidence Cobweb Mornings – nets/wets Centipede – goal/hole

both include rhyme

RevealEvidence & Answers

Feedback: Who did what well?

FindRead Talk

EchoRead

ChoralRead

ReadingStrategy

Answers & Text Marks

Other...

To be a book lover, you could...

notice the sounds.

Reveal

Listen for rhymes, alliteration and other sound effects.

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Copyright Notice

This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced from: Pocket Book of Pocket Poems by A. F. Harrold © 2025 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.

diamonds

Accept reference to any of the following reasons for each:

• makes the water droplets/dew seem sparkly and beautiful
• suggests the drops look precious or valuable
• suggests the droplets make the web visible or stand out so insects can avoid it
• helps the reader to understand the spider’s problem (caught ‘wets’ not flies)

the hole

Accept reference to any of the following reasons for each:

• suggests the centipede has a drain or plughole where water goes, similar to those in a shower or bath
• makes the centipede seem more human and relatable with a tap and drain like humans use (personification)
• offers a humorous explanation for why centipedes are often seen in bathtubs, showers or damp places

fly-less nets

Accept reference to any of the following reasons for each:

• describes how spiderwebs are used as nets to catch insects
• helps the reader understand the spider’s problem (no flies caught)