A Kite: NCERT Class 1 English Poem (Marigold Unit 7)

etmantra5 Jul 20206 min read

Most children in India have watched kites fill the sky. This tiny poem turns that sight into a wish, and it lets children imagine what it would feel like to float freely in the air.

Open now: the CALP Class 1 English course (Mridang)
Every lesson of Mridang, NCERT’s new book, with read-along videos, new words with Hindi meanings, and listen-and-say practice with a score, made for young children with a parent nearby. ₹999 for the whole year, and “Start here” and the first lesson’s notes are free to try.
See the free lessons and enrol →

From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 1, unit 7. NCERT’s newer Class 1 book is Mridang, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: A Kite

Play the video three or four times. The first time, just listen. Then point at the pictures, and from the third time, say the lines along with the video. Short, repeated listening is how CALP builds a child’s English.

What your child learns

New words: kite, breeze, often, wish
Saying a wish with 'I wish I could…'
Reciting a short poem with feeling
Imagining and talking about how something feels

What the poem is about

A child often sits and dreams of being a kite high up in the sky.

The child wishes to ride on the breeze and go wherever the wind blows. The poem is short and dreamy, full of the joy of freedom and flying.

New words, with Hindi meanings

often: many times (हिंदी: अक्सर)
wish: to want something very much (हिंदी: इच्छा करना)
kite: a light paper toy that flies in the wind on a string (हिंदी: पतंग)
sky: the space above us where we see the sun and clouds (हिंदी: आसमान)
breeze: a soft, gentle wind (हिंदी: हल्की हवा)
ride: to sit on something and be carried along (हिंदी: सवारी करना)
whichever: any one at all (हिंदी: जिधर भी)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

What does the child wish to be?
Where would the kite go?
What would carry the kite along?
Have you ever flown a kite? What colour would your kite be?

Answers for parents

The child wishes to be a kite up in the sky.
The kite would go whichever way the wind takes it.
The breeze would carry the kite along.
For example: Yes, I flew a kite on the roof with my brother. My kite would be red and yellow.

Grammar corner: Saying a wish with 'I wish I could'

We say 'I wish I could…' when we want to do something that we cannot do now. After 'could' we use the simple action word, like fly, swim or ride.

I wish I could fly like a kite.
I wish I could touch the clouds.
I wish I could ride on the wind.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: A soft, gentle wind is called a ___.
Make a sentence starting with 'I wish I could…'
Choose the right word: A kite flies up in the (sky / river).

Answers: 1. breeze · 2. For example: I wish I could fly over my school. · 3. sky

Try this

Be a kite. Your child spreads arms wide and "floats" around the room while you blow like the breeze, changing direction now and then. Then draw and colour a kite on paper and give it a long tail with bows.

Tip for parents

Ask in Hindi first: 'अगर तुम पतंग होते तो कहाँ जाते?' Let your child answer in Hindi, then help them say one English line, like 'I would fly over the trees.' Mixing both languages is fine; clap for every try.

Questions parents ask

What is the poem A Kite about?

A child often sits and wishes to be a kite high in the sky. The child would ride on the breeze and go wherever the wind blows.

What is the main feeling of the poem A Kite?

The poem is dreamy and happy. It shows the joy of flying freely, wherever the wind goes.

Is A Kite in the new NCERT book?

A Kite is a chapter from NCERT's older Marigold book for Class 1. The newer NCERT English book for Class 1 is Mridang, so check your child's school book list to see which one the school uses.

Learn every Class 1 lesson with CALP

Every lesson of Mridang, NCERT’s new book, with read-along videos, new words with Hindi meanings, and listen-and-say practice with a score, made for young children with a parent nearby. ₹999 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →