Poetry By Heart, the national poetry speaking competition, is extending its activity and creating new materials to help the very youngest school pupils discover the joy of poetry and speaking it aloud.

A new timeline of poems for children in KS1 and Reception launched on Tuesday 20 January 2026, coinciding with the start of the new National Year of Reading.

Poems on the launch list include works by Christina Rossetti, Robert Louis Stevenson and, of course, Anonymous, as well as poems by contemporary poets John Agard, Siana Bangura, Joseph Coelho, Kate Wakeling and A. F. Harrold.

Explore the new Poetry By Heart 4+ Timeline here.

As with Poetry By Heart timeline collections for older children, each poem in the new anthology is accompanied by specially written notes for teachers to use to help them and their young pupils explore the poem and work up lively ways to perform it out loud.

Co-director of Poetry By Heart, Dr Julie Blake says, ‘Some of children’s earliest and happiest encounters with language and literature are through rhyme and poems. Older pupils who have taken part in Poetry By Heart – finding a poem they love, learning it by heart, and performing it aloud, either solo or as a group – tell us that it increases their confidence, gives a sense of achievement, and a deeper understanding of poetry and language.  Our new offer for younger children will extend those benefits to those aged four and up and bring joyful poetry learning into their classrooms. Poems on our new 4+ Timeline will include ‘Give it a Go’ tips and prompts to encourage out-loud performances.’

Teachers have responded positively to news of the development. Five Islands Academy on the Scilly Isles regularly participates in Poetry By Heart. Reception teacher Alison Nimmo says, ‘We will definitely be using the new 4+ Timeline. We have found the Poetry By Heart Learn-Alongs including slides with pictures very helpful – they provide a simple structure that helps anyone take children through the process of learning a poem. It’s so valuable having a bank of these that teachers across different classes can draw on for poems that have been carefully chosen to be accessible, varied and fun or otherwise interesting to perform aloud. From a whole-school point of view, it has made it so much easier to get momentum going with every class learning poems, as the prep has been done for us. We have a lot of old favourites, so I’m looking forward to finding out about some new poets and broadening our repertoire of poetry for this age range through the new 4+ collection.’

Jess Lancaster, English Teacher at Shebbear College, Beaworthy, Devon, who has involved their youngest pupils in Poetry By Heart says, ‘Poetry by Heart has been a huge hit with our Nursery, Reception and KS1 pupils.  They have thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of learning a poem. We notice a boost to their confidence and communication skills from taking part – they are learning new language, experimenting, and enjoying reciting poems by heart.’

Tessa Thomas, Deputy Headteacher at St John’s Church Of England Primary School, Lacey Green, Buckinghamshire lists the immediate benefits for Reception children as enhanced vocabulary, improved phonological awareness, increased confidence, creativity and better social interaction; and lists long-term impact as stronger literacy skills as well as better social and emotional development.

Joseph Coelho, former Waterstones Children’s Laureate, says, ‘Poetry embodies a childhood abandon with words. It’s through early contact with poetry during carer/child reading sessions that we come across the onomatopoeia of the mooing cow and the baaing sheep, it’s through poetry that we learn rhyming ditties from friends in the playground as we “ip dip who’s it”, and it’s through poetry that we get to navigate difficult subjects and emotions. It is an honour to write poetry for the very young and I am so pleased that my poem Pigeons is being highlighted by the Poetry By Heart 4+ Timeline amongst so many greats.’

The new 4+ Timeline is free for all schools to access. Development of the new materials has been made possible by a grant from Tower Poetry.

Dr Anna Nickerson of Christ Church Oxford, who runs Tower Poetry says, “Helping children read, memorise, and recite poems from a young age gives access to a lifelong pleasure, and develops verbal, cognitive, and creative skills. The Poetry by Heart timelines are invaluable resources, and we’re delighted to support an initiative that will make these resources available from Key Stage 1 onwards.”

Explore the new Poetry By Heart 4+ Timeline here.

Download the Poetry By Heart Learn-Along for The Little Turtle by Vachel Lindsay