Using Text as a Topic

Recently, we were asked to present a keynote presentation at the Wandsworth, Merton and Sutton Primary Curriculum Conference, about using texts to inspire cross-curricular writing. This was a great opportunity for us to take stock and to evaluate our recent and most-successful work with schools to pull out the very best examples of children’s writing. Those of you familiar with The Literacy Tree Blog, however, will know that our mantra is ‘You can’t have literacy without literature’, so we knew that quality texts had to be our starting point.

Glancing across the offices at The Literacy Tree-House, we were faced with copy upon copy of inspirational and engaging texts, any of which could and indeed have been used as a starting point for some really creative writing (where we use the term ‘creative’ in its broadest sense). Fortunately for us, we always make sure the teachers with whom we work give us samples of children’s writing and outcomes from the teaching sequences we have planned, so there was plenty of choice for us to develop case-studies.

Two texts that seemed to stand proud of the rest of the books that day were ‘Naughty Bus’ by Jan Oke, a compelling photo-story of a naughty bus’ adventures through some perilous household situations, the other, a very worthy winner of the 2011 CILIP Kate Greenaway, and nominee for many more besides, the vivid and dream-like FaRther by Grahame Baker- Smith.

Why did these texts stand out? Well, for one it was their ability to engage through subtlety of language; power of illustration; structure (and simplicity) of narrative and vivid characterisation. The other, their natural links to cross-curricular learning that means these books can, and have been, taught as ‘topics’ in their own right. We are often heard to say that links should only be made where they fit naturally, and that shoe-horned connections to other areas of the curriculum should be avoided at all costs, but with these texts, the links were organic. Naughty Bus is such a powerful text that we often return to it in our work with teachers and it lends itself so well to a focus on journeys (where children would eventually recount their own trip on a London bus), which leads on to a more in-depth focus on London for KS1 children, eventually creating city-guides commissioned by an (albeit fictional) Mayor of London. For FaRther, the connections to WW1 were clear, as this fits historically with the book’s setting. As was the topic of ‘Inventions’. In their preparation to create the sequel to the story (entitled sOn), they create their own flying machines, which they actually make and then create explanation texts for those planning to use them.

Of course, any writing needs to be carefully planned so that writing opportunities are extended and in-depth. We want to avoid planning for a spattering of writing opportunities that are not fully-explored or developed, so we can ensure they are worthwhile and give children an opportunity to write at length about subjects in which they are immersed, interested and most importantly, excited. It is also imperative that any planned teaching sequence should be cohesive, based upon a building-up of skills towards a final, published, purposeful outcome – something of which children can be proud.

So, it is with those two texts that we planned our keynote speech. With so much quality writing inspired by both texts, it was hard to choose, but deep down we knew that the texts and writing would, ultimately, speak for themselves. Now, to plan for the next conference we have been asked to speak at, where we will be sharing a podium with no less than Michael Rosen, and our Inspiring Maths and Literacy Through Story course, where we will be working with Diane Andrews from Count on Me Consultancy, to create cross-curricular teaching sequences with texts which lend themselves to the teaching of maths!