Leaping into a literature program

Here are some ways of enriching your classroom literature program.

Included are some suggested novels for serial reading. Serial reading is a valuable sharing time, giving students uninterrupted, undivided listening time. Serial reading to your class helps develop listening skills and is an encouragement for reluctant readers. Listening to stories read aloud stimulates the imagination and enriches language. The serial can become a springboard for other activities such as role play, concept maps, art, music, and related, writing, speaking and listening activities.

Included also are suggestions for: author and illustrator studies

reading responses, learning outcomes

YEARS 1-2 LEARNING OUTCOMES

• The student:
• Shows awareness that written language conveys meaning
• Responds to text and illustrations in a personal way
• Understands that texts are constructed by people
• Retells simple stories
• Participates in dialogues and role plays based on simple stories
• Verbalises sequence of main events
• Talks and writes informally about personal reading

SERIAL SUGGESTIONS FOR YEARS 1 AND 2

Tashi series by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg (see The Classroom Connection Vol 4 No 3 1996 for activities based on three books from this series)

Dilly the Dinosaur series by Tony Bradman

Vlad the Drac series by Ann Jungman

Flat Stanley, Stanley in Space, Invisible Stanley by Jeff Brown

The 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race by Morris Lurie

Selby series by Duncan Ball.

Simon and the Witch series by Margaret Barry

Nurse Matilda series by Christiana Brand.

The Robber Hotzenplotz by Ottried n Preussler (you'll have to hunt for this one, it's out of print, but Year 2 will love it if you can find a copy).

Try The Borrowers by Mary Norton with Year 2, but precis the introductory chapter to get to the action. Link with the video of The Borrowers available from ABC Shops, to tie in viewing skills and comparison of print and film.

Any Roald Dahl story is a sure winner at this level, try Fantastic Mr Fox, The Twits and Matilda with this age group. Matilda is also available on video.

And Some 'classics' for this level.

Blinky Bill by Dorothy Wall Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs.

Winnie the Pooh stories by A.A.Milne.

101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, this is another one available on video

Dr Dolittle by Hugh Lofting.

PICTURE FICTION AUTHOR STUDIES WITH YEARS 1 & 2

Babette Cole, Alison Lester, Tomie de Paola, Judith Kerr, Pamela Allen, Arnold Lobel, Pat Hutchins, Eric Carle, Lynley Dodd, Bob Graham, Kym Lardner.

YEARS 3-4 LEARNING OUTCOMES

The student

• Interprets and discusses relationships between characters.
• Identifies simple symbolic meanings and stereotypes in texts.
• Recognises the link between text type and purpose.
• Responds to key features of illustrations. .
• Makes predictions about plot development and characters.
• Identifies settings.
• Will role play to explore emotional response to text.
• Talks and writes informally about personal reading.

SERIAL SUGGESTIONS FOR YEARS 3 AND 4

The Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka

Rowan of Rin series, The Best Kept Secret by Emily Rodda.

Hating Alison Ashley and Penny Pollard's Diary series by Robin Klein.

Martin's Mice and The Sheep Pig by Dick King-Smith (link the latter with the video of Babe to make comparisons between print and film).

Jacob Two-two Meets the Hooded Fang by Mordecai Richler.

The Amazing Adventures of Flashback by Gillian Rubenstein.

The Big Bazoohley by Peter Carey

Magpie Island by Colin Thiele.

Cabbage Patch Fib and other titles by Paul Jennings.

With My Knife by Andrew Lansdown.

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien.

And some 'classics' for this level

The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay (a film version was released in 2000, probably on video by now)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. (brilliant video series available)

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

AUTHOR STUDIES

Robin Klein, Judy Blume, Paul Jennings, Roald Dahl, Emily Rodda, Dick King-Smith, Sally Odgers.

PICTURE FICTION AUTHOR STUDIES:

Margaret Wild, Patricia Mullins, Terry Denton, Anthony Browne, Julie Vivas

YEARS 5-6 LEARNING OUTCOMES

As well as consolidating those outcomes for years 3 & 4

Students will:

• Justify their interpretation of ideas, information and events in the text.
• Identify the author's purpose and explain the possible reasons for varying interpretations of the text.
• Use literature as a model for their own writing.
• Talk and write informally about personal reading.
• Identify distinguishing features of literary works ie plot, characterisation, theme, style, setting, mood.

SERIAL SUGGESTIONS FOR YEAR 5

Angie's Ankles and Trubb's Gift by Garry Hurle.

Blabbermouth, Belly Flop and others by Morris Gleitzman.

Seashores and Shadows by Colin Thiele.

Space Demons by Gillian Rubenstein.

AUTHOR STUDIES YEARS 5 & 6

Robin Klein, Judy Blume, Paul Jennings, Roald Dahl, Emily Rodda, Dick King-Smith, Sally Odgers, Colin Thiele, Thurley Fowler, Morris Gleitzman, John Marsden, Caroline Macdonald, Victor Kelleher

PICTURE FICTION AUTHOR STUDIES YEARS 5 & 6:

Chris Van Allsberg, Jeannie Baker, Anno, Junko Morimoto, Graeme Base, Raymond Briggs, Margaret Wild, Patricia Mullins Terry Denton, Anthony Browne, Julie Vivas.

SERIAL SUGGESTIONS FOR YEAR 6

Dougy by James Maloney.

Foxspell by Gillian Rubenstein.

Out of Time by John Marsden.

The Gathering by Isobel Carmody

Gulf by Robert Westall.

Boy Soldiers by Cliff Green (compare with the video, available from ABC shops as part of the TV series 'Winners').

The Red King and Brother Night by Victor Kelleher.

Lochie Leonard the Human Torpedo and the sequel Lochie Leonard Scumbuster by Tim Winton.

Brockie's Bananagram by David Metzenthen

The Visitors and The Lake at the End of the World by Caroline Macdonald.

And some 'classics' for this level

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnet Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce.

Lawson short stories such as The Loaded Dog and The Drover's Wife Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome.

GENRE CHECKLIST

A good literature program will have a balance of genres: Ballads, Fables, Fairy tales, Legends, Myths, Novels (fantasy, realistic, historical, and science fiction) Nursery Rhymes, Picture fiction (including alphabets and those with no text) Plays, Poetry, Short stories, Traditional tales, Song Iyrics

READING RESPONSES

The film of...

• Students make a storyboard of the events in the story, consider changes to the story to transfer it more effectively to film
• They will plan and illustrate the settings for various scenes Will they rename the story?
• They can compare a video after reading the book on which it is based,
• for example, Babe (Sheep-Pig by Dick King-Smith), Round the Twist series, 101 Dalmatians, Pinnochio, The Magic Pudding.
• Students can make a paper film strip of their film version, winding it through a cardboard box 'TV'

Puppets

• Students make puppets of book characters and use them in a retelling of the story

Story Ladders

• Students list the main events of the story, in order, starting at the bottom of the ladder. This can be done pictorially or in words

Writing a letter recommending the book

• As one of the characters, to another character
• As one of the characters 6 months or so later, telling about what has happened since the story ended

Book jacket

• Students design a book jacket that includes front cover illustration, blurb, and notes about the author

Poster making

• Students design a poster to advertise the story, or a poster to promote the works of a particular author or illustrator

Time Line

• Students construct a time line of events in the story

Character Profiles

Details about a selected character in the story including the character's typical ways of behaving, reasons for actions or behaviour, relationships with other characters, other characters' opinions about this character, and so on

Murals and wall stories

• Include pictures and text about and from the story for a whole wall retelling

Interviews

• Written or taped interview with a character

Diorama

• One of the scenes of the story reproduced inside a box

Story cube

Students make a cube, with each side illustrating some aspect of the story: ie. characters, setting, events, outcomes, predictions, opinions.

Mobiles

• Students make mobiles of objects from the story or author/illustrator mobiles that contain a blurb or brief review of different stories.

Illustrations

• Students make pictures using the same medium as the book, for example collage-Jeannie Baker
• tissue paper pictures - Patricia Mullins
• pencil drawings-Kim Gamble.

Models

• Students make models of objects in the story, or characters they liked.

Crosswords and word searches

Cooking

• Cook some food mentioned in the story! e.g. porridge for a class breakfast, a giant jam sandwich, fried worms, a Ballagundi damper.

Discussion groups

Some questions to guide the discussion

• About character
  Why was this character important in the story?
  Why did act the way he/she did?
  Which character did you find most interesting/likable?
• About setting
  Was there more than one important setting?
  Was it real or imaginary?
  Did it happen in the past, present or future?
• About the plot
  What was the effect of (an event or action)?
  Could this sequence of events really have happened?
• About mood
  How did you feel while you were reading it?
  What do you think you'll remember most about it?

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