Posted on: 18/09/2017
A few years ago, when the curriculum we've come to know, and (maybe love is too strong a word) make our own was merely in draft form, we were asked to prepare an example of planning for a group of Heads that would demonstrate how to plan using it. We spent a while discussing all manner of ideas, using all manner of tables (planning in Venns anyone?) before eventually deciding that our current format could be adapted, because, ahem, it worked. We even used a book-based sequence that we had previously written for the old literacy framework using the book, Leon and the Place Between. We rewrote it, taking account of the new, much more specific requirements but left much of the drama and immersive stuff in there as we knew that this booked worked as a hook - the interest level was always high through the themes that were presented.
Something magical happens when we are interested in a subject or theme - we allow ourselves to be led on a journey and we engage deeper with the learning. This approach has always worked for us in terms of choosing the right books and now - 90 more book-based planning sequences later - is the entire raison d'être of our literary curriculum. Back then we had always planned through the book but in schools there was a still a lean towards a book (or often an extract) needing to fit a genre that was advocated on the National Strategies ‘renewed framework’, such as 'short stories with flashbacks'. This wasn't always ideal and often meant weaker texts or books were chosen to typify a genre.
Of course the book-based approach to the teaching of Primary English isn't entirely new, and another one of our sequences for the book, The Bear Under the Stairs* was originally planned back in 1993, when prior to a 'Literacy Hour' teachers had the freedom to pick books and topics on almost a weekly basis that had no links to curriculum coverage (the advantages and disadvantages here seem a little too obvious…).
We actually quite like the current National Curriculum as the freedom to choose your context for learning remains with the teacher and the school, despite the prescriptive objectives. We particularly like these statements from the curriculum and refer to them in training each time to justify how we work.
‘This guidance is not intended to constrain or restrict teachers’ creativity, simply to provide the structure on which they can construct exciting lessons.’
and this one regarding the emphasis on the use of literature:
‘The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.’
A whole book works well as a context for learning for many reasons. We love the fantasy element of being able to suspend disbelief whilst being in role as a character in the book to write for a particular purpose. Being able to write with empathy as a character gives children the opportunity to infer as a writer, something which is valuable as a writer – despite not being on the curriculum!
*it has been rewritten several times since. Lately it has included the need to use an exclamation sentence, which definitely was not required in 1993!
Posted in: Curriculum
