Beyond Acrostics: Fun Mesostic and Telestich Poems for KS2 ✍️✨
Everybody has heard of acrostic poems, where a word runs vertically down the beginning of each line. They’re straightforward, easy to teach, and something we see a lot in primary schools.
But… did you know that acrostic poems have exciting cousins? These lesser-known forms are brilliant for engaging children, encouraging wordplay, and stretching their creativity.
Let’s meet them!
Mesostic Poems 🖊️
Mesostic poems (from the Greek word misos, meaning middle) feature a word running vertically down the middle of the poem – just like in the example below.
Children love the challenge of weaving words into the centre of their lines. This works especially well on a computer where pupils can experiment with spacing, fonts, and colours to make the “hidden word” stand out. Sometimes, they’ll even discover new words by accident while playing around with the space bar!
Fun Activities:
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Name Mesostics – Challenge pupils to create mesostic poems using their own names or the names of classmates.
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Theme Challenge – Use topic words (e.g. “PLANET” for a science unit or “VICTORIAN” for history).
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Digital Poetry Art – Let children design mesostic poems in Word, Google Docs or Canva, adding colour and clipart for a poster-style effect.
👉 For another creative visual poetry form, try my blog on Calligrams: Teach Your Primary Class How to Create Word Pictures.
Telestich Poems 🔍
Another cousin of the acrostic is the telestich. From the Greek tele (far away), these poems hide the word vertically down the end of each line.
They are definitely trickier – but children in upper KS2 relish the challenge. It’s a great way to develop patience, redrafting, and problem-solving, while also reinforcing the importance of line endings.
Fun Activities:
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Poetry Puzzle Race – In pairs, give children a telestich “target word” and challenge them to complete it in a set time.
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Group Telestich – Write a whole-class poem together, where each child contributes one line to help build the word at the end.
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Hidden Messages – Pupils write telestich poems as “secret codes” for a partner to solve.
👉 For more puzzle-like poetry, check out KS2 Blackout Poetry Ideas.
Acrostics with a Twist 🎭
Even the classic acrostic can be revitalised with a few twists:
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All Lies Acrostic – Every line must be a silly, impossible exaggeration (e.g. “Amy’s Dad is twenty feet tall!”).
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Performance Acrostics – Each line is spoken with an action or sound effect.
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Collaborative Acrostic – Each table group takes a letter and writes a stanza for a giant class poem.
👉 For more performance tips, see Performance Poetry in Primary Schools.
Going Cross-Curricular 🌍
These forms of poetry are perfect for embedding across the curriculum:
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Science – Try mesostic poems for planets, animals, or habitats.
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History – Telestich poems about famous figures or events.
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PSHE – Acrostic poems about values like RESPECT or FRIENDSHIP.
👉 For more ideas on linking literacy to other subjects, visit Poetry Across the Curriculum in Primary Schools.
Why This Works ✅
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Children practise spelling, rhythm, and rhyme without it feeling like work.
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They develop creativity and wordplay skills.
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The hidden-word element gives poems an exciting puzzle-like quality.
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Performing, illustrating, and displaying them boosts confidence and pride.
Final Word 🌟
So next time you’re planning your poetry module and someone suggests acrostics, don’t stop there. Bring in mesostics and telestichs too, and wow your class with fresh, exciting approaches.
And as a bonus, you’ll sneak in a little ancient Greek — always handy!
👉 If you liked this, explore more Fun KS2 Poetry Activities that your class will love.
