First Day at School: NCERT Class 2 English Poem (Marigold Unit 1)

etmantra13 Jun 20209 min read

Many children feel nervous before a new school or class. This poem puts those small worries into words, so it is a lovely way to start a talk with your child about how they feel.

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From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 2, unit 1. NCERT’s newer Class 2 book is Mridang, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: First Day at School

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

Talking about worries with “I wonder if…”
Family words: mom, gran
Naming feelings about something new
Reading a short poem aloud with feeling

What the poem is about

In this poem a child is about to go to school for the first time and keeps wondering. Will my drawing be as good as the other children's? Will they like me, or will they just stare at me? Will my teacher look like my mother or my grandmother?

The last worry is a sweet one: the child wonders whether the puppy at home will wonder where they are. The poem shows that it is normal to feel unsure on a first day, and that a child's mind also goes back to home and loved ones.

New words, with Hindi meanings

wonder: to think about something and ask yourself questions (हिंदी: सोचना)
drawing: a picture made with a pencil or crayons (हिंदी: चित्र)
stares: long looks at someone without stopping (हिंदी: घूरना)
teacher: a person who helps children learn at school (हिंदी: अध्यापक)
gran: a short word for grandmother (हिंदी: दादी / नानी)
puppy: a baby dog (हिंदी: पिल्ला)

Sing and dance

Once your child knows the poem, sing it together with actions. Children who can’t sing yet can still do the moves.

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 wonder about the other children?
Who might the teacher look like?
Who at home might wonder where the child is?
How did you feel on your first day at school? What helped you feel better?

Answers for parents

The child wonders if their drawing will be as good as the others', and if the others will like them or just stare.
The teacher might look like the child's mom or gran.
The child's puppy might wonder where the child is.
For example: I felt a little scared. My new friend shared her crayons, and then I felt happy.

Grammar corner: Saying “I wonder if…”

We say “I wonder if…” when we are not sure about something and are thinking about it. After it, we say the thing we are thinking about. It is a soft way to share a worry or a question.

I wonder if my new class has a big window.
I wonder if my teacher likes drawings.
I wonder if my puppy is sleeping now.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: A baby dog is called a ___.
Choose the right word: “Gran” is a short word for (grandmother / girl).
Make a sentence that starts with “I wonder if”.

Answers: 1. puppy · 2. grandmother · 3. For example: I wonder if it will rain today.

Try this

Sit together and make a “wonder list”. Your child says three things they wondered about on their first day at school, starting with “I wonder if…”. Then draw a picture of their first day, and talk about what really happened.

Tip for parents

Ask in Hindi: “स्कूल के पहले दिन तुम क्या सोच रहे थे?” Let your child share in Hindi, then help them put one thought into English with “I wonder if…”. Mixing languages is fine; listen warmly and praise them for sharing.

Questions parents ask

What is the poem First Day at School about?

It is about a child's worries before the first day at school: about their drawing, the other children, the teacher and the puppy at home.

What does the child wonder about the teacher?

The child wonders whether the teacher will look like their mom or their gran.

Which book is First Day at School from?

It is the first poem in NCERT's older Marigold book for Class 2. The newer NCERT English books are Mridang for Class 1–2 and Santoor for Class 3–5.

Learn every Class 2 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 →