Transcript

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Let's have some fun 

with things that rhyme

welcome Kids 

it's poetry time!

Hip Hip Hurray!

Welcome everyone to Kids Poetry Club with me, Little Dazzy Donuts. I’m on my way into the Club to meet up with Queenie and Chicken. They’ve been in there working hard on all of the Summer competition poems that we’ve received. The last I heard, Queenie was reading them, and then Chicken was putting them into the computer system. Although, with those two, who knows what they’re up to by now. Seeing as I’m not quite at the Club yet, why don’t we take advantage of our time to do our Club registration. This is where you get to shout out your name and get a club point for being here. So, on the count of three, shout out your name so that I can hear you through your phone, computer, or radio.

Let the drum roll begin. Here goes …. One. Two. Three! ….. Excellent!

Well, we made it to the Club. Let’s see how Queenie and Chicken are getting on.

SOUND – door.

Queenie: You’re right, it’s bear! Okay, let’s try another … how about “up”.

SOUND

Queenie: Yeah! Another one right. You’re really on a roll, Chicken. You could even turn pro if you wanted.

Hi Queenie. Hi Chicken.

Queenie: Oh, hi Little Dazzy Donuts.

What’s going on here?

Queenie: Oh, we’re playing a little game of bear or bare.

A game of what?

Queenie: Bear or bare. Do you want to play?

Ummm … I tell you what. Why don’t I watch you two playing first, so I can learn how to play it?

Queenie: Okay. Chicken’s up to bat still as I haven’t bowled her out yet. So far, she’s hit two runs, planted a three-pointer from downtown, sliced one through the gully, converted a try, and headed one into the bottom corner. That said, neither of us really know how to keep score in the game, and so treat all of that as a provisional scoreline.

Okay, I will – thanks. It definitely sounds complicated. Well, let’s watch you play a little.

Queenie: Okay then, Chicken … here’s your next one. It’s the word “With”.

SOUND

Queenie: Ummmm … no, I don’t think you can phone a friend in Bear or Bare … and remember that I have to take your first answer.

SOUND

Queenie: Yeah! You got it right again! It’s B E A R. That puts you in pole position, I do believe! So, Little Dazzy Donuts, do you see how it’s played yet?

I think I might. Is the game about working out whether a word goes with bear as in b e a r, or goes with bare as in b a r e?

Queenie: It is!!!!!!!!! Do you want to ask Chicken a question?

I’d love to. Okay, Chicken, your word is “Necessities”.

SOUND

Queenie: Little Dazzy Donuts, Chicken wants to know if she can take a time out please? She hasn’t used any of her three time outs

Of course she can! While she does that, why don’t we read our first poem, which is also about Bares and Bears, just like your game. It’s called “Bare Bear”. But how do you think this first poem will arrive? How do you think the Poetry Postal Service will deliver our first poem? Listen carefully …. Here it comes ….

Oh, it came by crow. What a fun but noisy way for a poem to travel. Well, here’s our first poem, “Bare Bear”.

It's as in bear with,

and not bare behind.
So don’t bear your soul,
but do bear in mind.

Although bare and bear

sound the same word,

they only bear a resemblance

in the way they are heard.

First you bear down,

then you bear up.

Why bear a grudge,

just give a bear hug?

Don’t bear the brunt,

or bring pressure to bear.

Trust it to bear fruit,

and be bear aware.

Let me bear witness,

on why you should care,

though this may be more

than you really can bear.

Queenie: That’s such a fun poem, Little Dazzy Donuts! I really like how bear and bare sound the same but are spelled differently.

Well, Queenie, that makes them what’s called Homophones, which are words that sound the same but are spelled differently.

Queenie: Ooohhh … like here and hear? As in “here is Chicken”, which is h e r e, and “I hear Chicken”, which is h e a r.

Exactly. Another homophone is meet and meat. So, “I’m going to meet a friend” is m e e t, and “there is meat at the shop” is m e a t.

Queenie: Ooohhh … that’s so interesting. I know someone else who enjoys having fun with words like we do. It’s Rhyming Rita. The last two times we called her, she had a riddle for us. I wonder if she has another fun one that she could share? It also gives Chicken more time to think about bear or bare on the word “necessities”.

I love that idea, Queenie. Let’s call Rhyming Rita now and put her on speaker phone so that everyone can hear her.

SOUND

Rita: Hi, this is Rhyming Rita, the Poetry Teacher.

Queenie: Hi Rhyming Rita, it’s Queenie and Little Dazzy Donuts. We’re at the Club having fun with words, and were just talking about how some words sound the same but are spelled differently. We then thought about how much fun you have with words, and thought you might have a riddle poem for us?

Rita:

Hi Queenie. Hi Little Dazzy Donuts.

I do. I love having fun with words

And while you’re on the phone

Perhaps I should read a riddle poem

I just wrote here at my home!

This is a very special kind of poem

That hides a word from you

Let’s see if you can solve it

Without me giving you a clue.

Queenie: Yippee!!!!! Oh, hang on Rhyming Rita, I’m going to grab a pen and paper to write this down so I can then try to solve it…… Okay, I’m ready now. Can you read out your poem?

Rita:

Okay Queenie, write down my poem

And be sure to write each word

As somewhere in this poem

Is a word you won’t have heard.

Anyone out there

Can sit down to write

Riddles hiding words

Out in plain sight.

Safely hiding away

To be found in a rhyme.

I'm wondering if you

Can spot what's in mine?

Queenie: Okay. I’ve written it down carefully. Ummm …. So there’s something hidden in your poem. Let me work on this as a while. Thanks, Rhyming Rita – it’s always great to chat with you.

Rita:

It’s always a pleasure to chat with you.

We have such a fun time.

Good luck in spotting what I’ve hidden,

And I hope you solve the rhyme.

SOUND

So, Queenie, why don’t I read another poem while you think about Rhyming Rita’s riddle. Here, have a cup of tea, it might help you. By any chance do you have a poem in your pocket that I could read out?

SOUND

Queenie: Yes, I do. Here it is.

Excellent. This one is perfect. It’s all about “The Letter X” and where it sits in words when they’re spelled, but it’s not a very long poem, Queenie, so it won’t give you much time to solve Rhyming Rita’s riddle. Here is it.

The letter X is patient and kind,
politely letting others go first.
It waits for its turn when words are being spelled,
knowing many things in life could be worse
than a second place in ax or a third place in fox,
and sometimes X just stays home
awaiting the day that some kid will say
“How do I spell xylophone?”

Queenie: Oooohhh, I like that poem. I really like the thought that X is a patient letter that kindly lets other letters go first, and relishes the times it gets to start a word.

So, Queenie, how are you doing with Rhyming Rita’s riddle?

Queenie: Well, I wrote it down, and read it several times, and then I noticed something. Here, let me read it for everyone, and why don’t you pay special attention to the first letter of each line. Here goes:

Anyone out there

Can sit down to write

Riddles hiding words

Out in plain sight.

Safely hiding away

To be found in a rhyme.

I'm wondering if you

Can spot what's in mine?

Oh, I can see what you spotted at the start of each line.

Queenie: Yes, it spells out the word Acrostic, which is a type of poem. We studied them recently at Rhyming School.

You’re right Queenie, it is. It’s a poem where a word or phrase is hidden, often using the first letter of each row, although there are several different ways of doing it.

Queenie: You know what, we received some great Acrostic poems as part of the Spring competition. Here, let me get them out so we can play them. I remember being so impressed by them when they came in. Oh, here they are. This first one is from Abby in the United States, and is called Simply Spring. I really liked how she wrote a 12-line Acrostic that rhymes, and spells out three words. Here, listen to Abby reading her poem, and see if you can spot what she spells out.

Abby: Shooting Star, Hyacinth, and Crocus too, Preparing for the day of their big debut. Reminding the world that it's winter's end; Imploring us to gather together again. Narcissus is looking lovely as ever; Geranium's style is neat and clever. Iberis is the beauty of the bunch; Sage is having sunshine for her lunch. Honeysuckle's a sweet as her name; English Bluebell is slender and tame. Rhododendron's petals rise through the mist; Each flower reminds us that spring is a gift.

Oh, I do like Abby’s poem, Queenie. And I spotted that is spells out Spring Is Here. Well done, Abby. It’s not an easy task to write a long Acrostic poem that rhymes … and yours is really beautiful. Now, Queenie, do you have a second poem?

Queenie: I do! This second Acrostic poem is from Grace in England. It’s such a fun playful poem. Here. Let me play it for you so you can spot what it spells out.

Grace: Surprise! It's a nice sunny day. Puppies are running around. Races are being held. I want you to race me! No you say? Go on you get a head start!

You’re so right Queenie. Grace’s poem is fun and playful. I love the thought of a race in the Spring sunshine, and how nice of her to give the other person a head start. Oh, and it spells out the word Spring. How fantastic.

Queenie: Well, if you liked Grace’s poem, and Abby’s too, why don’t you listen to one more Acrostic poem? This final one is from Sarah in the United States, and it spells a different word from the first two poems. Let me play it for you now.

Sarah: B looming flowers, to kicking a ball. L ife begins, every where you go. O ceans beautiful. S creams of joy. S lurping ice cold drinks. O h my, it stung me! M iracales, that’s what happens in spring!

I really like that poem, Queenie. It spells out Blossom – it’s a fun poem built around a fun word. A big THANK YOU to all three of our poets today for showing us how great it is to write Acrostic poems. Perhaps people will write some Acrostic poems for the Summer competition on the topic of Home – I do hope so!

Well, I guess that we should check back in with Chicken to see how she’s doing with Bare or Bear. So, Chicken – what’s the answer?

SOUND

Queenie – Yes, you’re right again. It’s B A R E!!!!! Perhaps this game is too easy for you Chicken. Little Dazzy Donuts, are there other homophones we could try that are harder? Something that can really test Chicken?

I don’t know about harder, Queenie … but perhaps you and Chicken could throw in a homophone that includes an apostrophe. Like their and they’re … the first spelled T H E I R, and the second spelled T H E Y ‘ R E meaning they are.

Queenie – Ooohhhh …. Don’t you have a poem about apostrophes and other types of punctuations?

Yes, I do. It’s aptly called Punctuation. It’s around here somewhere. Ah – there it is! Why don’t we use it as our final poem for the episode? 

Queenie – Yes please!!!!

Okay, let’s hear our final poem, “Punctuation”.

I have to dash - I simply must dot...

I put colons everywhere:

and just in case, I use question marks.

If not here? Then there?

In a period like this. “You simply must use

quotation marks with glee,”

and hyphen-words quite-a-lot

and end with apostrophes’.

• When in doubt use bullet points

(brackets, exclamations too!)

putting commas, after, every, word,

is something you simply should do.

If you then “read what I write,“

you’ll see words I’m quite fond of -

but, while the words I write are interesting;

it’s the punctuation that I love!!!!

Well, sadly, that was our final poem for this episode.

SOUND

Don’t forget that there are lots of ways to join in with the club. If you go to kidspoetryclub.com, you’ll see a wonderful drawing by our Club illustrator, Dot Cherch. You can also see the PodSnack video for the episode and download the episode’s PodPack of activities. They’re all free. Plus there’s information on how to send your poems and drawings into the club, including how to enter your poetry and art into the Summer competition on the topic of Home. You’ll find everything you need at kidspoetryclub.com.

It has been so lovely to spend time with you! Thank you for joining me, Queenie, Rhyming Rita, and Bear or Bear Champion, Chicken. I hope you enjoyed yourself, and hope you’ll be back for more next time the Club meets. Join us again next week when we’ll have a new topic and more fun.

As always, let's finish with our short goodbye poem:

We've had some fun 

with things that rhymed

goodbye Kids 

until next time!

This is Little Dazzy Donuts saying .... keep rhyming!!!

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