Fiction Level 3-4 - Blabber Mouth: Session 5

Session 5: Reread chapter 2, Dig deeper and consolidate

• Collate what the students know
• Reread the chapter
• Consolidate and review the chapter
• Consolidating across chapters

Sample text: Blabber Mouth
(Morris Gleitzman, Pan MacMillan, 1992)

Collate what the students know

Students describe the images they have in their minds from having read the second chapter. In small groups they imagine they are making a video that tells what happened during Rowena’s first day at the new school. Students plan the events and some of the key sentences they would want to say.

Reread the chapter

The students reread key parts of the chapter and explore some of the ideas in relation to other ideas in greater depth. Students learn that rereading the chapter helps them to understand it more comprehensively. They can link ideas in ways that they didn’t on the first reading and form a deeper comprehension.

Several of the ways of thinking in this section can be developed at different levels of understanding. These activities can be pursued at higher levels of complexity by students who are high achievers in literacy and gifted or talented students.

Student learning activities

Activity 1
Students talk about the images they form of aspects of the chapter. For example, students respond to questions such as, ‘What picture do you have of Rowena now, having read this chapter?

Activity 2
Students respond to questions about the information provided. For example, students respond to questions such as, ‘How does Rowena deal with Darryn Peck?

Activity 3
Students ask inferential or go further questions about the chapter as a whole. These types of questions encourage the students to synthesise their understanding of the chapter as a whole. For example, ‘What do you think Rowena’s teachers and classmates would think of her at the end of her first day of school? What effect did Rowena locking herself in the cupboard have on the school?’

Activity 4
Students examine the writer’s style, describe it and decide whether they think it is effective. Example task: students look at the language used by the writer and how he puts words into sentences. They note that the writer:

• Uses short, sharp sentences that seem to be what Rowena is saying to herself, describing to herself what is happening.
• Has more paragraphs than in the first chapter and that the paragraphs describe events.
• Uses a good deal of direct speech.

Students decide how effective this writing style is for the message the writer is wanting to send.

Activity 5
Students discuss what does the writer wants us to believe. Example task: students respond to information and questions such as, ‘What things does the writer want us to feel about people who are mute? Give evidence to support your position. He might want us to believe that people who are mute can communicate very well. The writer shows how Rowena and her father communicate very effectively by using signs. On page 9 he has Rowena thinking, “Dad always communicates with his hands. He reckons two people can have a better conversation when they’re both speaking the same language”.’

Activity 6
Students summarise an event or 1–2 pages of text. Example task: the teacher notes that the chapter begins with, ‘Dad arrived just in time’. Students then respond to questions such as, ‘Would this be a good title or headline for this chapter? How do the events in this chapter show that Rowena’s father rescued the situation? What sort of person is her father?’

Activity 7
Students identify key vocabulary and suggest synonyms for key words. For example, students write a list of words that they think describe Rowena’s father.

Activity 8
Students decide what they know about the text so far. They can modify their summary chart:

‘Who are the main characters likely to be?’
Rowena, her father, Ms Dunning.

‘What might the novel be about?’
How Rowena makes new friends and manages with her communication problem.

‘Where does it take place?’
In a country town, on their farm.

Activity 9
This is a further extension activity particularly for higher achievers and students who are gifted). The teacher notes that, ‘Rowena had some bad experiences on her first day at a regular school, and yet at the end of the chapter she is “feeling too happy”.’ Students then respond to questions such as, ‘Why is she feeling this way? What influence do you think the effectiveness of her communication with her father has on her feelings? How well do they communicate feelings and complex ideas?’

Consolidate and review the chapter

Having read the chapter at least twice the students compose an understanding of or impression of it.

Student learning activities

Activity 1
Students retell and summarise the chapter. For example, students read the first sentence of this chapter and explain why it is a good description for the chapter.

Activity 2
Students review key vocabulary. Example task: students suggest synonyms for key words in the chapter, use them meaningfully in sentences, explain what they mean and suggest antonyms. They analyse the categories of words that come up in the chapter and write a list of words that they think describe Rowena and her father.

Activity 3
Students talk about how the writer presents the main ideas; why the writer selected the words and language used; and how the writer could have written the text in other ways. Example task: students identify and infer the techniques used to influence or to persuade them to a particular interpretation, for example, use of language. Students note that, ‘People who have speech difficulties can communicate very effectively using their hands. They have feelings like anyone else. One technique the author uses is writing the novel through the eyes of Rowena and making her the narrator, although she can’t speak.’

Activity 4
Students talk about their emotional response to the chapter. For example, students respond to questions such as, ‘How did you like the chapter or story’?’ They are taught to ask themselves, ‘How did I feel while reading the story? Why did I feel that way? What made me feel that way? How would I like to change the text so that it was more interesting?’

Activity 5
Students identify key actions they used while reading the chapter. Example task: students respond to questions such as, ‘What things did you do to help you understand the chapter?’ They identify some of the key actions they used when reading the chapter as well as new actions that helped them. Students add these to their ‘The actions I use and things I do while I read’ list to gradually modify their reading plans:

• ‘I make a mental picture of each paragraph and put these in order.’
• ‘I say other words for some of the words.’
• ‘I say paragraphs in my own words.’
• ‘I combine ideas across sentences.’

Activity 6
Students store in memory what has been learnt. For example, students respond to questions and instructions such as, ‘What key new ideas have I learnt? How has my knowledge changed? How does this fit with what I know already? List the key things you want to remember about Rowena and her father in the second chapter.’

Activity 7
Students identify the new language and literacy knowledge that has been learnt. Example task: students respond to questions such as, ‘What new ways of saying things have I learnt? What new words were in the text? What new words and ways of talking about ideas have I learnt from the second chapter?’

Activity 8
Students anticipate the next chapter and infer ideas it might discuss. Example task: students imagine how their understanding of the text so far will extend into the next chapter. This provides continuity between chapters and assists readers to link each chapter with the overall theme or topic of the text. Students respond to questions such as, ‘What do you think the next chapter will tell us about? What do you think might be described first in the next chapter?’

Consolidating across chapters

As noted earlier, it is recommended that the first few chapters of the book be read as an interactive class activity. This activity assists students to learn how to read fiction of this type and to provide them with a path into this type of text. As they continue to read Blabber Mouth, and learn how to read this type of text, students can be encouraged to take more control of the reading and to decide whether they will continue to read it for their own interest and personal enjoyment.

While students continue to read the text as an interactive class activity it is recommended that they also learn how to synthesise and consolidate across chapters. The following student learning activities assist in achieving this.

Student learning activities

Activity 1
Students describe the main ideas in each chapter in one or two sentences. Example task: students in small groups draw an events diagram showing the sequence of events in the story as well as a plot diagram showing how the plot, with the associated emotion of the novel, develops.

Activity 2
Students link positive emotional response with the text as a whole. For example, students ask themselves questions such as, ‘How did I like the text? Were ideas useful and interesting? Did I feel happy or sad? How could the story have grabbed me better? How do I think the author wanted me to think or feel? Did she achieve her purpose? Would I recommend this story to other students of my age to read? Why?’

Activity 3
Students discuss why the text was written. For example, students ask themselves questions such as, ‘Did the text say what I expected it to say? How well did it achieve its purpose? Why do you Blabber Mouth was written?’ Students gradually modify and sharpen their belief about why Blabber Mouth was written as they learn more about it.

Activity 4
Students discuss how can the text be interpreted from different points of view or perspectives and what techniques were used to influence the reader to take a particular interpretation. As students continue to read more of the text, they will become aware of additional points of view or perspectives from which the novel could be interpreted and the techniques used by the author to lead, persuade or convince readers.

Having read the second chapter, students contrast how the principal, Ms Dunning and Rowena’s father interpreted Rowena’s first day at the school. This can lead to students examining how different roles and different cultural perspectives may interpret Rowena’s behaviour. Similarly, as they read more of the chapters, the students are increasingly able to note the techniques used by the writer; compare these with those used by other writers of novels they have read; and note how the techniques change as the novel develops.

Activity 5
Students review and evaluate the reading strategies used, particularly to link the key ideas across chapters. They become aware that the first sentence of each chapter is the topic sentence that indicates in a sentence what happens in the chapter. Students add this new knowledge to their ‘Things I do while I read’ list to gradually modify their reading plans:

• ‘I make a mental picture of each chapter and put these in order.’
• ‘I describe the key ideas in each chapter in different ways and then talk about them in order.’
• ‘I look for the topic sentence of a chapter and use this to work out what happens in the chapter.’

Activity 6
Students store in memory what has been learnt. Example task: students respond to questions such as, ‘What key new ideas have I learnt having read each chapter. How has my knowledge changed? How does it fit with what I already know?’ Students list the key things they will remember about Rowena’s adventures and the key characters as they emerge over successive chapters.

Activity 7
Students identify the new language and literacy knowledge that has been learnt. For example, students respond to questions such as, ‘What new ways of saying things have you learnt? What new words were in the text? What new words and ways of talking about ideas have you learnt from reading Blabber Mouth?’ Students in particular note the effectiveness of writing a novel from the perspective of a narrator who can’t speak.

Activity 8
Students automatise and practise reading similar text aloud and silently to achieve increased fluency.