Michael Rosen explains on his website that, “Poetry is valuable for all of us for many reasons: it was invented as a good way to remember important things and interesting things. It still does this, through its musical sounds, rhythms and rhymes. It’s also a good way to play with the language around us and playing pleases us.”

Learning through playful language certainly pleases us in Reception. In celebrating this year’s National Poetry Day theme of Counting, we have enjoyed rhymes such as Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day, Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer, Five Little Buns in a Baker’s Shop, Five Little Monkeys Swinging from a Tree and many more. Having puppets/toys helps the children visualise the maths in the nursery rhymes.

However, the children’s favourite has been Two Little Dickie Birds: poetry and magic proving to be a winning combination.

Luke the crocodile snatches monkeys right out of the tree.

Five little children in a flying saucer flew round the earth one day (before lunch).

‘Mr Tumble and friends’ can be found easily online, singing many rhymes, if you want to expand your repertoire at home.