Foundations of Language and Literacy · Junior Infants

Active learning ideas

Having Fun with Poems

Active learning turns poems into playgrounds where rhythm, sound, and movement make language come alive. For Junior Infants, this approach builds phonological awareness and oral fluency in ways that quiet listening cannot. Hands-on engagement with poems helps children internalize patterns naturally, turning abstract rules into memorable experiences.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Junior Cycle English - Writing - Crafting and Shaping
• NCCA: Junior Cycle English - Language - Literary Devices

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 20 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Echo Rhythm Chant

Read a simple poem line by line, having the class echo each line while clapping the beat. Add gestures for key words, like waving arms for 'wind'. End with children suggesting one new line to echo together.

What did you enjoy about listening to this poem?

Facilitation Tip

During Echo Rhythm Chant, stand close to students and exaggerate mouth movements so they can see how sounds are formed.

What to look for

During a read-aloud, pause and ask: 'Can you find another word that rhymes with [word from poem]?' Observe which students can identify rhyming pairs.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Action Poem Circle

Divide into groups of 4-5. Share a short action poem, then groups invent motions for each line and perform for the class. Rotate who leads the performance.

Can you clap out the beat as we say this poem together?

Facilitation Tip

In Action Poem Circle, model dramatic pauses and exaggerated actions so children feel safe to copy and invent their own.

What to look for

After reading a poem, ask: 'What part of the poem did you like best? Was it the funny words, the way it sounded, or something else?' Encourage students to share their personal enjoyment.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Pairs

Pairs: Poem Picture Partners

Partners listen to a poem, then draw their favorite part or what it makes them feel. Pairs share drawings and describe with simple poem-like phrases.

What would you like to write a poem about if you could?

Facilitation Tip

For Poem Picture Partners, provide a basket of familiar objects or picture cards to spark quick, shared ideas.

What to look for

Provide students with a picture of a common object (e.g., a ball, a cat). Ask them to draw one thing that rhymes with the object and say the rhyming words aloud.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 15 min · Individual

Individual: My Fun Beat

Children select a familiar rhyme, clap or tap its beat individually, then record it by drawing sound waves or stamping rhythms on paper.

What did you enjoy about listening to this poem?

Facilitation Tip

During My Fun Beat, offer a drum or tapping stick to help children feel the rhythm before they attempt to create their own.

What to look for

During a read-aloud, pause and ask: 'Can you find another word that rhymes with [word from poem]?' Observe which students can identify rhyming pairs.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by making poems physical and social, using movement and repetition to anchor learning. Avoid overemphasizing correctness in early attempts; instead, focus on fun, noticing patterns, and building confidence. Research shows that playful, multimodal experiences strengthen phonological awareness more than drill. Keep the tone light but purposeful, so children associate poetry with joy and agency.

Successful learning looks like confident participation in rhyme games, enthusiastic echoing of poem lines, and creative sharing of personal responses. Children should show enjoyment of sounds, willingness to perform with others, and emerging ability to connect words to images or actions. Their early drafts of beats or rhymes reveal growing phonological confidence.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Action Poem Circle, watch for children who say, 'This isn't a poem because it doesn't rhyme.'

  Use the action poem's repeated phrases or refrains to show how rhythm and movement can create structure without rhymes. Ask, 'How does the clapping help us know when to move?' to redirect their thinking.

• During Echo Rhythm Chant, watch for children who sit quietly and don't join in.

  Stand beside reluctant children and clap or tap their knees gently to encourage participation. Praise any attempt to echo or clap, even if it's not perfect.

• During My Fun Beat, watch for children who insist their poem must have a 'real' meaning.

  Celebrate playful sounds or made-up words. Ask, 'What does your beat make you think of?' to encourage personal expression over fixed interpretations.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning