Sec.
1 Lit 2024 Feedback for First Day At School
Original (from student)
The speaker’s first day was filled
with fear and uncertainty.
Without his mother by his side,
he felt scared of every little
detail in the school. He thought
the railings were there to keep
out wolves and monsters, the
“lessins” slimy creatures and
rooms made entirely out of
glass. The speaker has a big
imagination and he is very
observant. This poem reflects
the thoughts that run through a
child’s head on the first day of
school. It tells us that every little
detail can make a big
impression on a child.
In the first stanza, the writer
must have felt intimidated by the
older children as in lines 3 and
4, they were described by the
speaker as big and noisy. They
were much more comfortable at
school than the speaker. The
differences between them made
the speaker feel intimidated. In
the second stanza, the speaker
was curious about the purpose
of the railings around the
playground. He let his
imagination run wild. Finally, in
the third stanza, the speaker
was feeling lonely in line 24, he
wished his mummy were here
with him.
“Why are they all so big, other
children?” refers to how
intimidating or scary they look
compared to the speaker.
“Spend the years inventing
games that don’t let me in”
refers to how he is being
excluded or the other children
dislike him. “Games that are
rough, that swallow you up” the
games are hard for the child
physically or mentally. “What
Ms Koh
Rephrased
The speaker’s first day was filled with fear and uncertainty. Without
his mother by his side, he seemed to feel scared of every little detail
in the school. For example, he thought the railings were there to
“keep out wolves and monsters”, that lessons meant “small and
slimy” creatures, and that games were “rough” and could “swallow
you up”. These show that the speaker did not understand the terms
and expressions used by people in school, and was probably very
overwhelmed and confused, intimidated by strange new concepts in
school.
Next, the speaker has a vivid imagination and he is very observant
and curious. This poem reflects the thoughts that run through a
child’s head on the first day of school. For example, “waiting for the
bell to go (to go where?)”, “why are they all so big, other children?
So noisy?” and “what does a lessin look like”. It tells us that every
little detail can make a big impression on a child. They spend time
wondering how to make sense and meaning of what adults say. The
speaker is probably confused as well.
The speaker must have felt intimidated by the older children as in
lines 3 and 4, they were described by the speaker as big and noisy,
and who played “rough” games “that swallow you up”. In the
speaker’s eyes, they were also much more comfortable at school
than the speaker because they “must have been born in their
uniform” and look so familiar and at home. The differences between
them made the speaker feel intimidated.
The speaker was also curious about the purpose of the railings
around the playground. He let his imagination run wild, speculating
that the railings kept out “wolves and monsters” and imagined all
the harm that could befall children if monsters, strangers and
kidnappers were to breach the school gates. This suggests that the
speaker must have been feeling quite scared about the potential
dangers in school as well.
Finally, in the third stanza, the speaker was feeling lonely in line 24,
he wished his mummy were here with him. This happened right
after his comforting thought of his useful “wellies”. This suggests
that the speaker must be longing for comfort and familiarity in the
form of his mother.
The speaker must have felt intimidated by the other children, from
the question “Why are they all so big, other children?”, and
suggesting that he was scared by how much larger and imposing
they look compared to how small the speaker is.
The speaker might have also felt excluded and lonely, from the lines
“Spend the years inventing games that don’t let me in”, which
suggests that the bigger children excluded him from their games,
which were “rough, that swallow you up”. This also suggests that
the bigger children’s games are hard for the child physically or
mentally.
The speaker must have felt confused and overwhelmed by all the
new terms and concepts mentioned in school that are completely
 Sec. 1 Lit 2024 Feedback for First Day At School Ms Koh

does a lessin look like? Sounds
small and slimy” the speaker
mixed up “lesson” with “lessin”
and is unaware of it. “They keep
them in glassrooms” the speaker
mixed up “glassroom” with
“classroom” and he thinks that it
is used to keep a lessin which is
some slimy pet or animal. This
shows that the writer is young. “I
wish I could remember my
name” he has bad memory and
cannot remember things well,
maybe he longs for good
memory. “Tea-cher. The one
who makes the tea”. The author
mixed a “teacher” with a “tea-
cher” which shows the author’s
childish mentality.
foreign and unfamiliar to him. This is evident from how he asks
“What does a lessin look like? Sounds small and slimy”,
demonstrating that the speaker mixed up “lesson” with “lessin” and
is unaware of it. The speaker mixed up “glassroom” with
“classroom” and he thinks that it is used to keep a lessin which is
some slimy pet or animal. Moreover, he mixed up “teacher” with a
“tea-cher” which shows the author’s innocent and naive mentality.
This shows that the writer is young and may be overwhelmed by the
new vocabulary.
Lastly, the speaker laments that “I wish I could remember my name”
when he thinks of his mother, in a very tender moment which
suggests that the unfamiliar surroundings has made him long for
the comfort of his mother. This makes me pity the speaker because
he is so little and overwhelmed, and has not been able to adapt to
his first day at school.

Paragraph Writing Exercise (suggested answer) : What are the speaker’s thoughts and/or
feelings in the poem? Support your answer with close reference to the poem.

The speaker is feeling alienated/isolated in his new environment. He describes it as being “a

millionbillionwillion miles from home”. This exaggerated description suggests how far away he
feels from his home, which reinforces the idea of the speaker being in unfamiliar or foreign
territory. His inability to fit in is reflected in how differently he perceives others as compared to
himself. Other children seem so comfortable in their uniforms as if they “have been born” in
them and that their uniforms are very much a part of them. They are also at ease with their
surroundings as if they had “lived all their lives in playgrounds” and consider it their second
home. However, he feels otherwise. He wants to make friends with them and be part of their
group, but his perception of them being very different from himself serves as a barrier which
sets him apart from them. They are very “big” and “noisy”, too daunting for him. He wants to join
them in their games but they “don’t let [him] in” showing how he is excluded/ rejected and made
to feel unwanted and the odd one out.

The speaker is also feeling terribly anxious/frightened/lost/overwhelmed by a great sense of

confusion arising from the unfamiliarity of his new surroundings. This is reflected by the
numerous questions swirling in his mind. He does not know many things nor what is happening
around him. For example, his ignorance of what “the railings” are for or what “a lessin look like”
or even what his “tea-cher” does is reinforces the idea of everything being so foreign to him. He
is so overwhelmed that he even forgets what is supposedly most familiar to him – his name.
Hence, he longs for his mother, wishing “she was here” as her very presence would provide him
with the much-needed comfort and confidence to help him find his way around.