Reading and responding to 'If You Could See Laughter' by Mandy Coe
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can give a personal response to the poem and give some evidence to justify my ideas.
Key learning points
- Mandy Coe is a poet and is known for writing imaginative poetry for children.
- ‘If You Could See Laughter’ by Mandy Coe is a poem about what laughter would look like if you could actually see it.
- The poem is imaginative and creates vivid imagery in the reader’s mind.
- The poem explores themes of the joys of childhood and imagination.
- We can read with expression to convey a sense of fun and joy.
Keywords
Theme - a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text
Imaginative - having the ability to create vivid mental images or concepts that may not exist in reality
Imagery - the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience for the reader or listener
Common misconception
Pupils may find it hard to read the poem aloud and with expression.
Ensure pupils have an understanding of what the poem means and some of the key vocabulary that they may not know. Model reading the poem aloud with expression for the children to get ideas and talk through the different ways to use your voice.
Teacher tip
Read and display other poems by Mandy Coe for pupils to enjoy.
Equipment
You need a copy of the poem ‘If You Could See Laughter’, which is in the 2010 Salt Publishing's edition of ‘If You Could See Laughter’ written by Mandy Coe, for this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.After reading poetry, we often give our initial responses to a poem. What are 'initial responses'?
Q2.The poem 'Wide Open' by Rachel Rooney is about a special ...
Q3.Which of these things does the special eye see in the poem 'Wide Open'?
Q4.Which of these things does the special eye see in the poem 'Wide Open'?
Q5.Which of these themes does the poem 'Wide Open' explore?
Q6.Fill in the blank. Imagery is the use of language to create a mental __________ or sensory experience for the reader or listener.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Fill in the blank. Mandy Coe is a __________ poet.
Q2.True or false? Mandy Coe is a famous British poet who writes poetry for adults only.
Q3.Fill in the blank. Mandy Coe's poem 'If You Could See Laughter' is about imagining what laughter would __________ like.
Q4.Which inflatable object does the poet describe as laughter looking like?
Q5.Which part of a theatre does the poet describe as wriggling with colours during a pantomime?
Q6.The poem contains which of these themes?
To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: Reading and responding to 'If You Could See Laughter' by Mandy Coe, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: Reading and responding to 'If You Could See Laughter' by Mandy Coe, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 English lessons from the 'The Magic Box': reading imaginative poetry unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.