Say a poem – a new approach to children’s poetry
Build vocabulary. Develop oracy. Share the joy of words, rhythm and rhyme.
Do you have the Ruth Miskin School Portal?
Enjoy Say a poem at no extra cost! If you don’t, Say a poem is also available separately. Read on to find out more.
Claim your free film now!
You’ll see how our short, memorable poems encourage oracy and build vocabulary – and fit easily into the school day. They make children feel ‘I can do it’!
Why not try ‘Tyrannosaurus rex’ with your class today?
Impact in schools
Kirsty Ehlen, a teacher at St Charles’ Catholic Academy, talks about how children grow in confidence through performing the poems.
Amanda Evans is a Reception Teacher at Cherry Orchard Primary School. She’s seen first hand how Say a poem develops children’s vocabulary.
Hear Emily Kent, EYFS Lead at Fender Primary School, talk about the impact Say a poem has on children’s oracy skills.
Results from our Say a poem impact study across schools at St Joseph’s Catholic Multi Academy Trust.
We achieved five out of five for all these statements:
Say a poem: Grow voices. Grow vocabulary
Free 30-minute webinar with Sara Rice-Oxley
Sara – a teacher and actor – will show you how to:
- build vocabulary and develop oracy through poems that are rich in language, playful to say, and short to learn
- bring poetry right into your school day – from the minute children arrive to home time.
This session is for all teachers in Early Years and Years 1 to 4, whatever phonics programme you use.
Watch a short film about Say a poem
How does Say a poem work?
Say a poem is developed by Ruth Miskin. It’s perfect for children in Nursery up to Year 3 in any school, whatever phonics programme you use.
There are over 90 poems and paired five-minute films at different vocabulary levels. In each film actors and children encourage children to participate and speak aloud.
Children hear the poem and then join in. Once they’re familiar with it, they will love joining in all the way through.
Poems can be said in small group settings or by the whole class/school.
Poems are grouped under eight headings: Feelings and wellbeing, Fun and imagination, Animals and beasts, School and community, Speech and language, Nature and seasons, Playing and exploring, Moving and growing.
More poems are added weekly.
Here’s one of our 90+ films. ‘Join In’ is an upbeat, rhythmical poem that encourages togetherness. You’ll see how easy it is to share with your class. They’ll love it!
News and reviews
“Two weeks in and it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I was tearing up watching them perform ‘The Beautiful Butterfly’ which we linked to our hungry caterpillar week. We also loved ‘Hatching’ and ‘the Easter bunny’ which we learnt as well – again, linked to our book themes. They are such gorgeous poems to learn and some of our most quiet children have been the most vocal in these moments!”
Kelsey Brenchley, EYFS Teacher, EYFS/ KS1 Phase Lead and Phonics Lead, Nova Primary Academy
We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive reviews of Say a poem. This one says it all!
“We absolutely love the Say a Poem element of the RWI programme. It has quickly become a favourite part of our day in EYFS. The children have been captivated from the start. They look forward to learning each new poem and take great pride in performing them.
The impact on children’s language development has been fantastic. We regularly hear children reciting poems from memory during dinner queues, in the playground and on their way to the home-time door. Their vocabulary has grown significantly, and we often hear words and phrases from the poems appearing in their play and conversations.
One of the things we value most is how inclusive it is. Every child can join in and experience success. As soon as the introductory music starts, children’s faces light up and they eagerly sing along. There is always a real buzz of excitement around poem time.
We have been particularly impressed by the impact on our SEND pupils. Children with a range of communication and language needs are highly engaged and thrive during these sessions. It is wonderful to see children who can sometimes be reluctant to participate joining in confidently alongside their peers.
We also love the variety of themes and the curriculum links within the programme. As a team, we have thoughtfully woven the poems into our EYFS curriculum across the year so that they enhance and support our planned learning. This has been a fantastic way to introduce and revisit ambitious vocabulary, giving children lots of opportunities to hear, use and remember new words in meaningful contexts.
The success of Say a Poem in EYFS has been so clear that we are now introducing it across the whole school. It has brought so much joy, confidence and language-rich learning to our classrooms, and it has become a cherished part of our daily routine for both children and staff.“
Melissa Blakemore EYFS Teacher Sandringham Primary School
How to access Say a poem
We hope you’ll love our new poems and paired films.
If you don’t have the Ruth Miskin School Portal
Say a poem is available to all schools without the Portal.
An annual subscription costs £200 per school.
If you have the Ruth Miskin School Portal
The Say a poem films are included on the School Portal as part of your Training Package – at no extra cost.
Meet the team
Working with Ruth Miskin, Mark Rice-Oxley wrote, produced and directed more than 80 poetry films of his own poems.
Mark was chosen by Dame Judi Dench for an Evening Standard award which paid for his acting training. He has been an actor for over twenty years, appearing in shows from Bristol to Barbados via Broadway including premieres of twenty new plays.
Highlights of his acting career include working with Peter Hall at the Barbican, with Harold Pinter on stage and film versions of The Dwarfs, playing Mickey in Blood Brothers in the West End, appearing at Shakespeare’s Globe and being in the original cast of Frantic Assembly’s Pool (no water) which places him in A-level textbooks.
He has appeared in more than twenty different TV shows, played George Harrison in a movie about the Beatles and voiced John Lennon in one of the 150+ Audiobooks he has narrated. He has also produced and directed shows in London and Hollywood.
Mark has taught Acting and Singing for many years and presented his popular Masterclass Acting for Singers at the British Voice Association’s conference at The Royal Academy of Music. He is a regular teacher at the North West End Acting School and Anamal Musical Theatre Company.
Sara Rice-Oxley is the Developer and Producer of Say a Poem, designed to inspire creativity in young people through spoken word.
A trained actor, she has performed in regional and West End theatre and on television and radio for the BBC.
Sara has extensive theatre-in-education experience, touring nationally as a performer before leading dynamic workshops in schools, residential settings, and prisons, using drama to build confidence, communication skills, and creative expression.
She later spent many years as a primary school teacher and senior leader, creating impactful opportunities for children to engage with the arts – including devising an original storytelling production that enabled children to perform at Birmingham Symphony Hall as part of the Music for Youth National Final.
Sara is an experienced Consultant Trainer for Ruth Miskin Training, supporting hundreds of schools across the UK and internationally, and served as Trust Reading Lead for St Joseph’s Multi Academy Trust.
She continues to coach actors and young performers for Say a Poem, leading enrichment days and poetry training in schools nationwide, and championing performance as a powerful platform for young voices.