Read as many narrative texts as possible to the students and discuss the structure of these when appropriate (but not to the detriment of the students' enjoyment during the first reading of the story). Have the students share a range of fiction – favourite sophisticated picture books, novels, and authors with the class.
Teachers can arouse students' interest in books by introducing books they have enjoyed and reading extracts from them. As students finish their books, provide opportunities for them to promote books by "book selling" them. Other students will often want to read the book as well. When "book selling", encourage students to:
Have the students keep a reading_log (RTF 10KB) and complete a retrieval (RTF 16KB) on four narratives they have read during the unit.
Invite authors and illustrators to share and discuss their work with your class. Have students plan questions to ask in advance of the author visit.
Explore the language of narrative through shared, guided, and independent reading. How does the language help us learn about aspects of the story such as characters and setting? Question and talk about author's choice of language (words and phrases) to convey a message.
Published on: 25 Apr 2009
