The Little Bird: NCERT Class 1 English Poem (Raindrops Chapter 3)

etmantra4 Feb 20206 min read

Children love watching birds, and this gentle poem captures that feeling. A child sees a little bird hopping and wants to greet it. The ending is a small surprise that young children enjoy.

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From the NCERT English book Raindrops for Class 1, chapter 3. NCERT’s newer Class 1 book is Mridang, but many schools still teach Raindrops.

Watch: The Little Bird

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: hop, tail, window, flew
Rhyming words like 'you' and 'flew'
Greeting someone with 'How are you?'
Saying a short poem with actions

What the poem is about

In the poem, a child sees a little bird coming along with small hops. The child calls out and asks the bird to stop. The child was going to the window just to ask the bird how it was.

But the bird shakes its little tail and flies away. The poem is short and sweet. It shows a child’s wish to make friends with a bird, and how birds are shy and quick.

New words, with Hindi meanings

little: small (हिंदी: छोटा)
hop: to move with small jumps (हिंदी: फुदकना)
cried out: called out loudly (हिंदी: पुकारा)
stop: stay still; do not move on (हिंदी: रुकना)
window: an opening in a wall that lets in light and air (हिंदी: खिड़की)
tail: the part at the back end of a bird or animal (हिंदी: पूँछ)
flew: went away through the air (from 'fly') (हिंदी: उड़ गया)

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.

How was the little bird moving?
What did the child want to say to the bird?
What did the bird do before it flew away?
Which birds have you seen near your home?

Answers for parents

The little bird was moving with small hops.
The child wanted to ask the bird how it was.
The bird shook its little tail.
For example: I have seen sparrows, crows and pigeons near my home.

Grammar corner: Rhyming words

Rhyming words end with the same sound, like 'you' and 'flew', or 'hop' and 'stop'. Poems use rhyming words to make them fun to say.

The bird likes to hop, but it will not stop.
I said how do you do, and away the bird flew.
A bird on a tree is looking at me.

Practice at home

Spot the rhyme: Which word rhymes with 'hop': stop or fly?
Fill in the blank: The bird shook its little ___.
Say aloud to a family member: 'Hello! How are you?'

Answers: 1. stop · 2. tail · 3. Hello! How are you? (The other person can answer: 'I am fine, thank you.')

Try this

Act out the poem. One person is the little bird and hops along. The other is the child who calls out “Little bird, will you stop?” The bird shakes its tail and flies away with arms spread wide. Swap roles and play again.

Tip for parents

Point to a bird outside and say in Hindi, 'देखो, चिड़िया फुदक रही है', then in English, 'Look, the bird is hopping.' Let your child copy the English line, even if half of it is Hindi. Praise the try, not the perfect sentence.

Questions parents ask

What is the poem The Little Bird about?

A child sees a little bird hopping along and asks it to stop, to say hello. But the bird shakes its tail and flies away.

Which words rhyme in The Little Bird?

'Hop' rhymes with 'stop', and 'you' rhymes with 'flew'.

Is The Little Bird in the new NCERT book?

The Little Bird is a chapter from NCERT's older Raindrops 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 →