The enjoyable poem ‘First Day at School’ shows us how a little one feels about his or her first day at school. Aileen Fisher is the poet of this piece that vividly describes the emotions and experiences of a young person who has never been to school before. It is an easy poem that children can understand because it tells them what goes through their minds when they are getting ready for school. Some kids might find going to school for the first time rather traumatic. They have a hundred thoughts running through their minds about how they will feel in school and whether they will be accepted by their classmates. They wonder what their teachers will be like and whether they will be happy and comfortable in school or not. There are feelings of fear, anxiety and nervousness as well as homesickness as they long for the comfort of their parents and home.
Also Read: Tips to Prepare for The First Day Of School
Lyrics of First Day at School Poem
I wonder
if my drawing
will be as good as theirs.
I wonder
if they’ll like me
or just be full of stares.
I wonder
if my teacher
will look like Mom or Gran.
I wonder
if my puppy will wonder
where I am.
Summary of the Poem
This verse is recounted through the voice of a young person who is concerned about the impending event of attending school for the first time. The child asks him/herself how the day will go. He/she is filled with worry if his/her drawings will be as good as those done by other kids in the school and if they will accept or like him/her.
The first day of school is not only hard for the child but also for the parents. The lines of the poem do not only echo in the child’s mind alone. The same thoughts and emotions are felt by the parents as well. Aileen Fisher has brought out these conflicting emotions beautifully in this poem. It is very important for a child to be accepted by their peer group and to be liked and appreciated by them. They want to make a good impression and be admired by their classmates. All these emotions cause so many thoughts to flit through their minds.
The child wonders what their first day of school will be like. The innocence of a child’s mind is reflected as they wonder whether or not their drawing will be as good as their classmates and whether or not they will like them and their drawings. The naivety of a kid’s mind also comes through as they wonder if their teacher’s face will be like their mother’s or grandmother’s. It showcases the strong bond a child shares with their mother and grandmother. The child hopes that their teacher who is a stranger to them will look like a family member they are close to.
Towards the end of the poem, the child wonders if their dog with whom they are used to spending the whole day will miss them at home.
The poem wonderfully reveals how a child feels distressed and nervous about leaving familiar things and entering into the world.
The word ‘wonder’ is repeated throughout the poem to reinforce the various emotions going through the child’s mind. It talks about a real life situation which is a reality of every kid’s life. There is a degree of distress and anxiety about every small thing – will their drawing be as good as others, will they be liked, will their teachers look like their family, and finally, will their dog miss them at home or not.
This interesting poem has rhyming words like theirs-stares and gran-am which adds to its lyrical quality. Though poems for kids are always fun, the poet has breathed life into this one, even though it deals with a rather mundane matter. It appeals to children as it deals with something that is very real to them and that they can identify with. They see all their emotions expressed in the lines of the poem. This poem is lively and tells the child that we understand what they are going through. Even as adults, this poem awakens memories of the anxiety and excitement we felt during our first days of school. The tone of the poem, First Day at School,l is befuddled and uncertain as children get ready for a new phase of life and adjust to something they are not used to.
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Activity
The poem offers room for various activities, such as; pairing up the learners in a class where one acts as the teacher and the other as the student. During this, the teacher would welcome the students on their first day in school as the students expressed all the emotions they felt on their first day at school. After that, they can exchange roles so that every child gets an opportunity to express what they felt when they came to school for the first time.
Poems are a great way to encourage a child’s creativity and pique their curiosity. They are also crucial in refining their budding writing skills. This simple poem about a mundane situation expresses the thoughts and apprehensions of a child as they enter the new world of their school. They are bound to have misgivings and anxiety about how they will adjust and Aileen Fisher very poignantly expresses these emotions in the poem First Day at School. These thoughts are normal for every child to feel along with their parents. There are timid competitive feelings in the child who wonders if they will fit in with the others and if their drawing will be considered up to the mark by their classmates. It depicts the misgivings of a child at having to move out of their comfort zone. For activities, worksheets and more information on this poem, you can log into the EuroSchool blogs so that your child enjoys and understands this poem better.
Check out other Nursery Rhymes for your kids:
Wheels on the Bus
Finger Family
Two Little Dicky Birds
At The Zoo
Hello How are You
Baby Shark
Miss Dolly Had A Polly
The Day of the Month
Merry Go Round
