Overview and Outcomes:

In this ten-session Writing Root, which we suggest will take 3 weeks to cover, the children think about what they used to enjoy doing So Much. They then share the story, So Much before going on to use Thought-tapping to infer a characters’ feelings and then completing a What Were They Thinking? activity. They sort phrases into Feelings Zones and then explore who they have in their lives that they enjoying doing things with So Much. Finally they plan and write their own So Much story that is personal to them. Phonics teaching is embedded throughout and suggestions for Continuous Provision are also made.

Synopsis of Text:

Everybody wants to squeeze the baby, everybody wants to kiss the baby, everybody loves the baby ... so much! As each member of the family arrives at the gathering, the baby is given lots more attention – and then the party can begin! A tender and humorous look at modern family life.

Text Rationale:

When this book was first published in 1994, it won the Smarties Book Prize; the Kurt Maschler Award and the WHSmith and She Magazine Award. The book was voted one of the 100 best children’s books by Time Out in 2016. The book also represents authentically the language and cadence of an Afro-Caribbean family. Trish Cooke is a multi-talented writer whose work crosses many disciplines including radio, television and theatre.

Links and Themes:

Parties, celebrations, new babies, representation, diversity, family

Date written: June 2017