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Poems to learn by heart, one line at a time

Learn the first verse ofThe Owl and the Pussy-catby heart for Thursday

When the homework says ‘learn the first verse by heart’, photograph the poem. Kamelo reads it aloud, then hides one word per line, then half the words, until your child can say it on their own. A poem you photograph stays private to your family.

Year 1 to Year 6

From the photo to the practice

  1. You photograph the poem

    The printed sheet or the page of the book, along with the homework diary line if it says which verses to learn.

  2. You check the text

    About thirty seconds later you see the poem as Kamelo read it, line by line. Correct any word, then confirm.

  3. Your child practises

    Today’s homework is waiting on their screen, in four stages that ask a little more of their memory each time.

During the session

Read and listen
The verse appears line by line, and your child can hear each line read aloud.
One word is hidden
One word per line disappears, with its first letter left as a clue. Tapping the gap shows the word.
Half the words are hidden
Now half the words are gone. Your child fills them in aloud and taps a gap whenever they need help.
Recite from memory
The lines are blank. Your child recites, and taps to show a line if they get stuck. It is never a fail.

Helping your child learn a poem by heart

  • Understand it first

    Read the poem together and talk about what happens in it, and about any unusual words. A poem that makes sense is much easier to remember.

  • A few lines a night

    Learn one verse or a few lines, then add the next ones the following evening, always starting again from the top.

  • Lean on the rhythm and the rhymes

    Clap the beat, or stress the rhyming words: ‘The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea / In a beautiful pea-green boat’.

  • Say it at bedtime, check it at breakfast

    A quick recital in the evening and another the next morning shows what has stuck and which line needs another go.

Questions parents ask

Do children have to learn poems by heart at primary school?
Yes. The national curriculum in England asks Year 1 pupils to recite some rhymes and poems by heart, Year 2 pupils to build up a repertoire of poems learnt by heart, and pupils in Years 5 and 6 to learn a wider range of poetry by heart. In between, Years 3 and 4 prepare poems to read aloud and perform. Schools choose the poems.
How can my child learn a poem quickly?
Little by little, and out loud. Read it together until it makes sense, learn a few lines at a time, and always restart from the top. Hiding more words each round, as Kamelo does, makes your child rely on memory rather than on the page. Our guide to learning a poem by heart goes through it evening by evening.
What are good poems to learn by heart in KS1 and KS2?
Your child’s teacher usually chooses. Classic poems that are out of copyright and good to recite include The Owl and the Pussy-cat by Edward Lear, Windy Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson and Who Has Seen the Wind? by Christina Rossetti. Short rhyming poems with a strong beat suit younger children best.
Is the poem I photograph shared with anyone?
No. A poem you photograph or type in stays private to your family. The photo itself is deleted from our servers within 24 hours; only the text you confirmed is kept, for your child’s practice. Your child’s name is hidden on your phone before the photo is sent.

Official sources

Tonight’s homework, without the fight.

Planned for the UK in January 2027. France comes first, from October 2026.

An email on launch day

Kamelo isn’t in the app stores yet. Leave your email and we’ll let you know the day it’s available on the App Store or Google Play.

Your phone

Just that one email, then your address is deleted. No newsletter, no account to create. Planned for the UK in January 2027. France comes first, from October 2026.