7 Language and Literature

Student agency in the Year 7 Language and Literature classroom

Tell me and I forget

Teach me and I remember

Involve me and I learn.

The joy of reading is inextricably linked with the books we read as children. Think back and visual images will jostle with words in your memories. The sensory experience that a picture book evokes is so important to our earliest understanding of the world around us. Equally, these books shape our responses to this world. Picture books amuse, entertain, and teach.

When we started planning the learning experiences for our Year 7 class in 2021 we were very aware of the difficult year that we have all just traversed. We knew that the transition from primary to secondary school could potentially be more challenging than usual. Lockdowns and online teaching had deprived us of many of those sensory experiences that are essential to our wellbeing. We wanted our Year 7s to feel the continuity between their learning experiences in primary school and the often complex transition to secondary school. To facilitate this we wanted to create a completely learner-centred space that overtly valued student agency.

So we began with the familiar and the loved as a starting point for new learning. Our Year 7s learned to look at their favourite picture books differently, more analytically, and to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into creating a successful picture book. We looked more closely at two classics of the genre – Maurice Sendak’s poignant rite of passage story Where the Wild Things Are and Gary Crew’s chilling rendition of a boy’s experiences in an Australian town in The Watertower. The Year 7s discussed the very different colour palettes and illustrations in the two books and commented on the atmosphere and mood created by these.

At this point they were ready to become creators themselves – writers and illustrators. It has been an absolute joy to hear the buzz in the classroom as decisions were made and problems solved. These ranged from individual creative choices to collaborative endeavours that required both personal accountability and independent thinking. In the process students have come to understand both the technical and artistic challenges of the creative process as well as the demands of shaping their content to a target audience. 

As teachers, Anthony and I have been richly rewarded by the excitement in our classrooms as our Year 7s have internalised their learning in the best way possible – while playing with ideas and images. Students have discussed their ideas with each other, helped other students to brainstorm and problem solve, and demonstrated a keen awareness of their own capabilities. 

Learning is supposed to be fun. Often in secondary school we lose that magic. As we approach the end of this term we believe that our Year 7s have enjoyed their first term, have learned some valuable life lessons and have made progress in becoming more confident writers and illustrators. We look forward to sharing their amazing output with you next term.

Kavita Mathai

DP Coordinator and English teacher

kavita.mathai@preshil.vic.edu.au