English

Term 1 Literature Studies Year 1 - 6

In alignment with the new Victorian Curriculum implemented this year, our Year 1 to Year 6 students embarked on an enriching journey through literature studies this term, which have been met with overwhelmingly positive responses from the teachers and students. 

Literature studies are designed as whole class, book-based curriculum units that allow students to engage with high-quality literature in a deep, meaningful way. Through close reading and focused writing exercises, the students not only develop an appreciation for the stories but also develop their reading and writing skills through structured teaching and learning opportunities.

One of the standout features of this initiative is the vibrant discussions it sparked among our students. Teachers observed how these literature studies have enabled the students to develop their thoughts and ideas, leading to rich conversations that enhance their understanding of the unit texts and other texts. This collaborative learning experience has not only made reading enjoyable but has also helped students systematically build their knowledge and comprehension skills, elevating their ability to appreciate literature on a higher level. Even as I asked the Year 6 students to reflect on the positive aspects of their literature study on the novel, “War Horse” by Michael Morpurgo, their conversation got waylaid as they began to discuss what they enjoyed most about the book: that it was written from the perspective of Joey, the horse, and the symbolism of humanity and kindness shown in the fried rice scene.

The literature studies are also writing intensive, incorporating explicit strategies that help students refine their writing abilities. This approach ensures that they are not only reading with understanding but also applying their insights to improve their own writing. After examining character traits represented by different colours in the picture story book ‘The Crayons go Back to School’ by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers, I was ‘tickled pink’ to see the Year 1 and 2 students apply their understanding when creating their own comic strips and imaginary recounts.

The joy and enthusiasm our students have shown during these literature studies have been truly inspiring. We are excited to see how this initiative will continue to advance their skills and foster a lifelong love for reading and writing.

Thank you for your continued support as we nurture our students’ literary journey. I have included some reflections from students on their favourite parts of their Literacy work this term and look forward to sharing more updates next term as our literature studies progress!

Year 6 Reflections on “War Horse” by Michael Morpurgo

• Lincoln: I enjoyed the book “War Horse” because I found the war themes really interesting and engaging.
• Grace: I liked that we could have open conversations about the book because the whole class had read the story. 
• Michael: We were all able to work on the same task then we could all talk about what we had done together which meant we got to hear more people’s perspectives.

• Evie: I enjoyed writing poetry and learnt how to use appositives. I had never heard the term ‘appositive’ before. 

   

  Prep

• Lachie: I have enjoyed reading books in my group. I read a book about getting fit.
• Rebecca: I enjoyed writing about my rabbit called Spotty. 
• Conner:I liked the word of the week. I liked tin and ant.
• Lola: I liked sounding out words in my writing. 

• Aria: I liked adding more things to my writing.

   

  Year 1

• Chloe - I liked reading Beauty and the Beast. I liked writing about Little Red.
• Marcus: I liked reading “The Crayons go Back to School”. I liked making the speech bubbles.
• Georgie: I liked drawing pictures in my book about how the crayons were feeling.
• Grace: I liked making a book about the crayons with my sister.

• George: I wrote a book called Captain Underpants because I want to be just like George and Harold in Dog Man. Captain Underpants is a part of Dog Man.

   

  Year 2

• Tavi: I have enjoyed writing my own story. My villain is a hungry bear called Tom and my main character is a girl called Lucy who always wears brown overalls and loves her chickens.
• Zoe: I enjoyed doing the play of Little Red and Grey Wolf.

• Thomas: I enjoyed writing about the villains. We used different adjectives to describe them. My villain is the fox. 

   

  Year 5

• George: I enjoyed writing a narrative about the Melbourne Demons in 2021.
• Aira: I enjoyed reading War Horse. I enjoyed the activity ‘Sketch to Stretch’. We listened to the book then drew what we were thinking.

• Matilda I liked the daily reviews. I enjoyed learning vocabulary because we learnt the meaning and origin of words. 

   

  Year 4

• Ruby I have enjoyed reading Matilda because everyone gets a chance to read and I have enjoyed learning the meaning of new words.
• Annabelle I have enjoyed reading Matilda because the story is funny. My favourite character is Matilda because she is interesting and clever.
• Amelia I enjoyed describing Matilda and the characters.

Spontaneous Book Club in our Playground

Well done to Charlotte and Poppy who have initiated a Book Club in the playground. A lovely idea that brings a love of reading to many students.

Rachel Gray 

Lieracy Leader