Literacy

Author Studies 

This term, right across the school, students are looking at specific authors. These author studies help students develop their reading, writing, research, and critical thinking skills, as well as establish a stronger community of readers. 

Students learn to critically evaluate an author’s themes, characters, and writing style. They learn to make connections between the author’s life and work, and also make personal connections between their own experiences and those of the author and his/her characters.

Author studies are an entertaining way to spark students’ life-long interest in reading, a particularly important factor for new readers and reluctant readers. 

An author becomes a “writing mentor” for readers as they read and study his/her work and respond to it through a variety of writing. This “mentoring” and students’ writing responses can help kids build confidence in their writing and can even inspire them to become authors themselves.

In Prep, students are reading Eric Carle’s books, starting off, of course, with The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The Bad Tempered Ladybird is also a favourite.

Years 1 & 2 are reading Bob Graham books. Bob is an australian author and illustrator. The students are having fun comparing the illustrataions and themes of his stories. 

Years 3 & 4 are reading Roald Dahl books and finding out some information about the author. This week they have created their own villains using the character traits of Mrs Trunchbull from “Matilda”. 

Years 5 & 6 are studying Shaun Tan books. Shaun Tan is an Australian artist, writer, and film maker who won an Academy Award for his book, The Lost Thing, in 2011. He has written and illustrated picture story books, and has also created some books without text. 

Who says picture storybooks are only for little kids?!