Lesson video

Hi there, my name is Mr. Charlesworth.

And in today's reading lesson, we're developing our reading preferences by exploring a range of forms. The form we're looking at today is probably one of my all time favourites, it's picture books.

I wonder, do you have a favourite picture book text? I'm really looking forward to working with you today, let's get started.

The lesson outcome is, I can develop my awareness of a range of forms. The keywords are, my turn, your turn, form, picture book, theme, advocacy.

Let's say those once more.

Form.

Picture book.

Theme.

Advocacy.

Well done.

Form is the way that a text can be presented.

A picture book is a form of text, where images and words work together to create meaning.

A theme is a central idea that the writer intends the audience to engage deeply with.

Advocacy is the act of supporting or promoting a cause, idea, or person.

Don't worry if you're unsure about any of the keywords, we'll be exploring them throughout the lesson.

Today's lesson is all about developing our reading preferences through exploring a range of forms. We're going to begin the lesson by exploring what reading for pleasure looks like through picture books, and then we're gonna have a go at advocating with exploring a range of forms later on.

Let's start with reading for pleasure through picture books.

There are many different forms of reading, including chapter books, picture books, magazines and newspapers, blogs, reference texts, those are sometimes called information books.

Graphic novels, song lyrics, and poetry collections.

These are just some of the examples of the forms that literature can take, there are many more.

Which do you enjoy reading? And why? Pause the video now and discuss with your partner.

Great discussion, it's important to remember that all forms are equally as valid as each other.

No one form is more important than another.

During today's lesson, we're going to be exploring picture books.

These are one of my favourite forms of literature, I have hundreds of them at home.

A picture book is a form of text, where images and words work together to create meaning.

Illustrations and artwork play an integral part in picture book texts.

They have the potential to echo or reinforce the words on the page.

That means that both the text and illustration are saying the same thing.

Sometimes they can be in contrast to one another completely.

They may add additional details and subtext.

Picture book creators, that's authors, illustrators, and translators, sometimes work collaboratively.

Sometimes they work independently of one another.

"I Talk Like a River" is one of my recent favourite picture books.

It explores what it's like to have a stutter.

The illustrations are so beautiful, you can't help but fall in love with it.

Picture books can cover a wide range of forms and genres.

There's poetry and biography, through texts such as "Exquisite," the poetry and life of Gwendolyn Brooks.

The artwork and illustrations in this text truly are exquisite.

There's realistic fiction, through texts such as "The Lost Homework." This is a fantastic picture book text to explore the traveller community.

There's wordless or silent texts, such as "Migrants." In wordless or silent texts, readers have to put their own meaning onto the illustrations and artwork.

This text explores what it's like to leave home and to move from one place to another, gets you to empathise with lots of the characters within it.

Finally, you can explore nonfiction through picture book texts.

This example, "Moth," looks at adaptation and survival, and tells a story all about the industrial revolution.

Picture books are effective for developing reading for pleasure for several reasons.

They allow readers to read and reflect on a complete narrative, develop an emotional connection, explore the interplay between words and illustrations.

That's the relationship that words and illustrations have on one another.

Do they agree or disagree? Are they saying something similar or dissimilar? Picture book texts also allow you to engage with complex themes and messages.

They can showcase diversity in all of its forms. That includes not only the people and illustrations on the page, but also the people who made the text.

Finally, it allows you deeper connections through noticing.

I love spending time pouring over the pages in picture books, just like this fun cover here.

Have you noticed the cat at the top? Have you wondered why the woman's changing the sign from closed to open, or from open to closed? Picture book texts get me to question and notice lots of new things every time I read them.

Here's our first check for understanding.

True or false, artwork in picture books always reinforces the words on the page.

Is that true or false? Pause the video now whilst you decide.

Great work, it's false.

Now, I'd like you to justify your answer.

Is it because, A, illustrations and words can be in contrast to one another, creating new meanings or subtext? Or, B, authors and illustrators work collaboratively, or sometimes independently of each other? Have a think back to the original statement.

Which one best suits? Pause the video now whilst you decide.

Well done.

Were you correct? It's A, illustrations and words can be in contrast to one another, creating new meanings or subtext.

They don't always have to say the same thing.

It's really important to remember that picture books are for all ranges, from early readers all the way to adults.

They can contain a range of complex themes.

Complex themes are thought-provoking subjects with deeper ideas and moral lessons.

These four text have examples of complex themes through their depiction of disability, justice, grief, and what it's like to be a refugee.

Some examples of other complex themes are identity, empathy, resilience, social justice, loss and grief, environmental awareness, cultural awareness, and family dynamics.

That's the different ways that a family can be made up.

High quality picture books can expand readers' critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence.

They can prompt readers to notice hidden details, reflecting on why these were included by the author or illustrator.

Picture book texts benefit from a slower, more methodical type of reading.

Through this slower reading, readers can engage more deeply with its themes.

These two texts have exactly those in abundance.

"Meanwhile Back on Earth" is a really interesting picture book which explores the history of conflict.

It gets you to reflect and question themes around war and peace.

"The Visitor" is a really good picture book text to explore perspectives.

We see the text through the eyes of two neighbours, one very outgoing and one very introverted.

It gets you to question and empathise with each of the characters.

In both of these texts, there's plenty of details to pour over and explore in more detail as you read.

Picture book texts can reflect lived experiences, which can provide readers of all ages with insights into people's cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives.

Let's have a look at a few examples.

There's "Queer Heroes," this is a nonfiction picture book text, which explores the lives of 52 inspirational LGBTQ+ figures.

This text explores their lives, and the impact they had on society.

Then there's "The Proudest Blue." This is a beautiful picture book to explore themes around identity and family.

It's all about the power of the hijab.

The text "Eyes That Kiss in the Corners" is another text that explores identity and also culture.

It makes all readers feel proud about who they are.

Finally, texts such as "Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story" can allow readers to explore different cultures.

This is a well-researched, and authentically written and illustrated text.

Reading texts that widen our reading experiences is a great way to develop empathy too.

In this check for understanding, I'd like you to list three examples of complex themes that could be explored through picture books.

Have a think back to what we've just covered.

Pause the video now and list them.

Great work, there are a range of different themes.

Some of these include identity, empathy, resilience, social justice, loss and grief, environmental awareness, cultural awareness, and family dynamics.

Laura says that picture books can make challenging subjects such as war and peace accessible, offering readers a range of perspectives.

There are many, many more themes that can be explored.

I wonder, did you or your partner talk about one that's not in the above list? I'd be really interested to find out what it was.

This is one of my favourite tasks, I'd like you to read and explore a range of picture books.

Can you describe your favourite text to your talk partner? Here are just a few of my recent favourites.

When you're discussing with your talk partner, think about the following questions, what made it engaging? And did it deal with any complex themes? Pause the video now whilst you read and respond to the texts.

Fantastic discussion, I do hope you enjoyed exploring one of my favourite forms of literature.

Izzy's example says, "I found Suri's Wall, created by Lucy Estela and Matt Ottley, to be a really empathetic read." "The words and illustrations sometimes convey the same meaning, sometimes different." "As soon as I finished, I wanted to read it again." I hope that Izzy's example mirrored some of yours too.

I wonder, will your next read aloud be a picture book perhaps? We're now going to explore advocacy, and have a go at advocating for exploring a range of forms. There are many different forms of literature.

Well remembered, a form is how a text is presented to a reader.

You may have read chapter books, magazines and newspapers, graphic novels, reference texts, poetry collections, song lyrics, and picture books.

Reading texts in a range of forms broadens a reader's intellectual, emotional, and cultural horizons.

Encouraging readers to explore these will make them more informed and empathetic individuals.

Advocacy is the act of supporting or promoting a cause, idea, or person.

It can be used to persuade or convince an audience.

Effective advocacy has a compelling message communicated with clarity, emotion, and a call to action.

As well as advocating for reading for pleasure, we can encourage readers to explore a range of forms. Successful advocacy would result in more people broadening their intellectual, emotional, and cultural horizons.

A great nonfiction picture book to explore this further is "Talking History." This looks at the power behind speeches.

You might pick up a tip or two too.

Here's our next check for understanding.

True false, reading texts in a range of forms broadens a reader's intellectual, emotional, and cultural horizons? Is that true or false? Pause the video now whilst you decide.

Fantastic work, it's true.

Now, I'd like you to justify your answer.

Is it because, A, reading a range of forms allows readers to engage with diverse viewpoints and have a greater appreciation for the wider world? Or B, reading a range of forms means readers do not engage with any particular forms in depth? Have a think back to the original statement, which justification best fits? Pause the video now to decide.

Well done, the justification that best fits is A.

Reading a range of forms allows readers to engage with diverse viewpoints, and have a greater appreciation for the wider world.

It's really important to read from other perspectives that are different from our own.

It enables us to broaden our intellectual, emotional, and cultural horizons.

Successful advocates will usually deliver a thought-provoking speech relating to their cause.

When giving a speech, advocating for a cause, speakers could follow these steps.

Number one, choose a cause.

Step two, research.

Step three, create a plan, that's a plan of what you're going to say.

Step four, prepare your message and rehearse it.

And step five, take action.

We're going to explore each of these steps in relation to our cause, which is that readers should explore a range of forms. Let's have a look at each of the steps.

Step one, choose a cause.

In this case, our cause is, readers should explore a range of forms. Step two is research.

Research you could conduct might include how many forms you or your friends currently read.

You could also research some advantages and disadvantages.

Step three, when you're creating a plan, you might like to start with a mind map.

Why is reading a range of forms beneficial? It might broaden your imagination, offer you a range of diverse perspectives.

It might add interest and engagement to reading, or it might demonstrate cultural awareness and widen your understanding of different cultures.

Step four is prepare your message.

Rehearse thoroughly to ensure you're comfortable with the words, the meaning, and the flow of the speech.

Practise makes perfect.

Step five, take action.

Perform the speech with a loud, clear voice, making eye contact with the audience.

And vary your voice's pitch, volume, and speed to sustain interest for the audience.

Here's our next check for understanding, can you order the following steps you should consider when advocating for a cause? Which step comes first? Which one comes last? Order them one through five.

Pause the video now whilst you order.

Well done, let's have a look at the order.

Step one is to choose a cause.

The next step is to research.

Step three is to create a plan.

Step four is to prepare your message.

And then step five, take action and perform out loud.

Aisha says personal anecdotes, which include real life examples or experiences, can really support your speech.

They also make sure that the listener takes an interest too.

In this final task, I'd like you to create your own speech, advocating for readers to explore a range of forms. You'll need to answer the following questions.

Why is this important? And what will they and others gain from broadening their reading habits? Follow the steps below to plan your speech.

Part one is to research.

Part two, create a plan.

Part three, prepare your message and get it ready for performance.

And four, take action, perform it out loud.

I wonder, can you convince your audience that reading a range of forms is a pleasurable experience? Pause the video now and complete the task.

Well done, I hope you enjoyed performing your speeches out loud and advocating for a cause.

I'd now like you to reflect on the following two questions.

What did you discover through your research? And did you convince your audience to read a wider range of forms? Pause the video now whilst you reflect on the questions with your talk partner.

Great work, I wish I could have heard your responses.

Let's have a look at two examples.

Izzy said, "I felt empowered and proud when my friends asked for some text recommendations after my speech." And Sam says, "At first, I was hesitant about sharing my thoughts.

However, once I started researching, I realised how passionate I was about the cause and I felt confident." I hope these remarks mirror some of your experiences too.

I'm looking forward to you advocating more in the future.

In today's lesson, we've been developing reading preferences through exploring a range of forms. We've understood that illustrations and artwork play an integral part in picture book texts.

They can agree or disagree with the words, creating new meanings or interpretations.

We know that picture books are for all age ranges, from early readers through to adults.

Also, picture books can contain a range of complex themes.

We know advocacy is the act of supporting or promoting a cause, idea, or person.

And we've advocated that reading texts in a range of forms broadens a reader's intellectual, emotional, and cultural horizons.

I hope you've enjoyed exploring a range of forms and advocating today.

I'm looking forward to working with you again in the future.