KS2 Poetry Editing & Improving ✏️ | How to Make Poems Better (FREE Checklist)

Writing a first draft of a poem is exciting — but for many KS2 pupils, editing is the hardest part.

Children often think:

• “I’ve finished — I can’t change it now.”

• “Editing means rewriting the whole thing.”

• “I don’t know what to improve.”

Teaching children how to edit and improve poetry helps them see writing as a process — not a one-off task. With the right structure, editing becomes focused, purposeful and even enjoyable.

This post shows you exactly how to teach poetry editing in KS2, with clear examples, pupil-friendly steps and a FREE downloadable checklist you can use straight away.

Perfect for Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6.

 

 

If you’d like pupils to experience live shared writing and editing with a professional poet, you can also book an Online Poetry Workshop or Poetry Day in school.

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⭐ Why Is Editing Poetry So Important in KS2?

Editing poetry helps pupils:

• improve vocabulary choices

• refine imagery and figurative language

• hear rhythm and flow

• remove unnecessary words

• prepare poems for performance

Most importantly, it teaches children that great poems aren’t written once — they’re shaped over time.

Poetry is ideal for editing because:

• poems are short

• small changes have a big impact

• improvements are easy to spot

• reading aloud reveals weaknesses instantly

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🧠 What Editing Isn’t (Important to Tell Pupils)

Before editing, it helps to reset expectations.

Editing poetry is not:

• rewriting the whole poem

• correcting spelling only

• making it longer

• making it rhyme at all costs

Editing poetry is about:

• choosing stronger words

• improving clarity and imagery

• adjusting rhythm

• removing weak or repeated ideas

🔗 Ready-Made KS2 Poetry Model Texts  🔗 Related: KS2 Poetry Cold Writes and Baseline Assessment

🔗 Poetry and the National Year of Reading  🔗 Related: Creative Book Spine Poetry Ideas

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✨ WAGOLL Example: Editing a Poem (Before & After)

Here’s a clear before-and-after example you can use as a WAGOLL in class.

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📝 First Draft (Before Editing)

The Playground

The playground is very loud
Children run around and shout
There are games and lots of fun
Everyone plays in the sun

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This is a perfectly reasonable first draft — but it’s quite general and doesn’t create strong images.

Now let’s see what happens after editing.

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✍️ Edited Version (After Editing)

The Playground

The playground bursts into noise,
With trainers thudding, voices flying.
Skipping ropes hiss across the yard,
While laughter cracks the morning sky.

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🔍 How the Poem Was Improved (Teacher Explanation)

1. Stronger verbs

• is very loud → bursts into noise

• run around → thudding, flying

Verbs now create movement and energy.

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2. Clear imagery

Instead of vague phrases (games, fun), the poem shows:

• skipping ropes

• trainers

• voices

• laughter

This helps pupils see the playground.

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3. Sound and rhythm

Words like bursts, thudding, hiss, cracks add:

• sound effects

• rhythm when read aloud

Reading aloud helps children hear when a line works.

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4. Removing weak phrases

Phrases like very loud and lots of fun were removed because:

• they don’t show detail

• they don’t create images

Children learn that less can be more in poetry.

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🧩 A Simple Editing Process for KS2 (Child-Friendly)

Teach editing as small steps, not one big task.

Step 1: Read it aloud

Ask:

• Does it sound smooth?

• Do any lines feel boring or flat?

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Step 2: Upgrade one word per line

Challenge pupils to:

• change one verb

• improve one adjective

• add one image

That’s it.

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Step 3: Check for pictures and sounds

Ask:

• Can I picture this line?

• Can I hear anything?

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Step 4: Remove unnecessary words

Encourage children to:

• cross out repeated ideas

• remove filler words

• tighten lines

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Step 5: Read it aloud again

The final test.

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📥 FREE Download: KS2 Poetry Editing Checklist (Child-Facing)

To make editing simple and clear, I’ve created a child-friendly poetry editing checklist you can use in any lesson.

The checklist helps pupils ask:

✔ Have I chosen strong verbs?
✔ Have I added an image or sound?
✔ Can I remove any weak words?
✔ Does it sound good when I read it aloud?
✔ Am I proud of at least one line?

👉 Download the FREE KS2 Poetry Editing Checklist (PDF)

This works brilliantly alongside:

🔗 KS2 Poetry Planning Templates
🔗 Teaching Powerful Verbs Through Poetry
🔗 KS2 Adjective & Adverb Word Banks
🔗 Teaching Figurative Language Through Poetry KS2                                                                                                                                                            🔗 KS2 Poetry Assessment Made Simple

🔗 KS2 Poetry Lesson Plans (Ready To Use) 🔗 KS2 Poetry Sentence Stems and Scaffolds

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🕒 How to Use Editing in a Short Lesson Slot

Editing doesn’t need a full lesson.

Try a 10–15 minute editing focus:

1. Read one WAGOLL aloud

2. Highlight one improvement

3. Pupils edit just one stanza or four lines

4. Share 2–3 improved lines aloud

This keeps editing positive and manageable.

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🎭 Editing Through Performance

One of the best editing tools is performance.

Ask pupils to:

• read their poem to a partner

• perform one stanza aloud

• listen for rhythm and clarity

Children often spot their own improvements once they hear the poem spoken.

This links beautifully to:

🔗 Performance Poetry in Primary Schools
🔗 Best Poems for Children to Perform KS2

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🎯 Differentiation Ideas

Support:

• highlight words to improve

• edit together in pairs

• provide sentence stems

Challenge:

• add a metaphor or simile

• vary sentence length

• create contrast between two stanzas

Greater Depth:

• experiment with line breaks

• adjust rhythm deliberately

• edit for mood or pace

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📚 Curriculum Links (UK KS2)

This approach supports:

• writing: drafting, evaluating and editing

• vocabulary development

• spoken language and performance

• reading aloud with expression

It fits naturally within:

• poetry units

• descriptive writing

• narrative poetry

• cross-curricular writing

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🌟 Final Thoughts

Editing is where poetry really comes alive.

When children learn how to improve their poems, they:

• gain confidence

• take pride in their writing

• understand how poets work

• enjoy performing their work

With clear modelling, small steps and a simple checklist, poetry editing becomes something pupils look forward to — not something to avoid.

If you’d like your pupils to experience live shared writing, editing and performance with a professional children’s poet, you can book an Online Poetry Workshop or Poetry Day in your school.

👉 Find out more and book here: Poets in Schools – Ian Bland