Advice for teachers -
Foundation English

Unit 2 - Area of Study 1​: Reading and viewing texts

Outcome 1

Produce analytical or creative responses to a literary text.

Examples of learning activities

• Make regular use of glossaries or online programs (such as Wordcloud, Word Sift, Vocabulary.com) to make lists of difficult words, unfamiliar place names and references connected to a text. Also make use of lists of grammatical, literary and analytical language (compiled by students or prepared by teacher).
• Fill in the gaps in a short section of text using a list of relevant words, such as adjectives, verbs, adverbs.
• Replace highlighted words in a passage with synonyms, using an online thesaurus.
• In a small group, record predictions about a text in a table, based on the title, chapter headings, illustrations, opening paragraph, scene or stanza; label columns as Prediction and Evidence.
  
• Skim a text to gain a general overview and find the main idea; then write up a short summary in paragraph form.
• Using a visual text such as an illustrated classic or a free online graphic novel, create a plot timeline. Alternatively, use a jumbled timeline and reconstruct into the correct order, using the text for support (teacher prepares this).
• Collect a quotation bank to illustrate different aspects of a text.
• In pairs, use an online graphic organiser or a program such as Inspiration or Canva to compare key elements of two or more texts; for example, character, theme, ideas, language, form or style.
• In small groups, play the game Celebrity Heads using flash cards to name characters, themes, ideas or events from a literary text.
• Using the words Who, What, Where, Why, When and How, create a 20-question quiz about a literary text.
• Individually or in pairs, respond visually to one or more texts (such as a webpage, comic strip, Prezi or poster) in order to examine aspects of the plot, a character, or to make comparisons between texts.
• Write creatively in response to a text by adding an extra chapter, event or character, changing the beginning or ending of the text or reversing the order of the plot (refer to Scootle or Fuse for ways of developing creative texts).
• Rewrite part of a text from a different point of view.
• 
  In small groups, use a three-level guide to analyse a fable or short story.
  
• Write analytically using a model paragraph consisting of sentence stems and blank spaces.

 

Detailed example

Three level reading guide

To create the comprehension guide, teachers should:

First, create the third ‘applied’ level questions that will direct students to think about the wider implications of the ideas and issues developed in the text. These questions should reflect the concepts they would like students to consider.

Second, write the first ‘literal’ statements related to the issues explored in the ‘applied’ level statements. Focusing attention on the relevant information in the text will help students to disregard irrelevant information.

Third, develop the second ‘interpretive’ level statements requiring students to infer meaning in the text and discover the author’s intentions.

An example of a Three Level Guide, using one of Aesop’s fables follows:

Level 1: Does the text say this? What words support your answer?

• There were some ripe grapes growing on a tree.
  
• The Fox was strolling because it was a hot day.
  
• The Fox needed the grapes because he was thirsty.
  
• The Fox gave up trying to reach the grapes.

Level 2: Does the text give you this idea? What words or phrases support your answer?

• The Fox was proud and spiteful.
  
• The grapes were not sour.
  
• The Fox was energetic and fit.
  

Level 3: Do you agree with this? Why? Be ready to share your reasons.

• If a task is impossible we should give up graciously.
  
• The way we respond to problems can reveal our true character.
  
• Sometimes we hide our failures by blaming something else.
  

Once students have discussed the questions and responded in writing to the guide, they can  devise a title for the fable.