Reading 'The Proudest Blue' and developing fluency
I can listen to and read 'The Proudest Blue' to develop my fluency and understanding of the text.
Reading 'The Proudest Blue' and developing fluency
I can listen to and read 'The Proudest Blue' to develop my fluency and understanding of the text.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- 'The Proudest Blue' is a children's picture book, written by Ibtihaj Muhammad, that celebrates being proud of the hijab.
- The story is told from the perspective of Faiza and it is about her big sister Asiya getting her very first hijab.
- Sounding out using phonics strategies is our most helpful way to decode unfamiliar words.
- Searching for a 'word within a word' is a useful strategy to decode and comprehend words.
- Re-reading a sentence fluently after decoding helps to make meaning of what has been read.
Keywords
Hijab - a head covering worn by some Muslim women
Identity - the different aspects that make up who we are
Pride - the feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements or qualities
Strategies - techniques used to support in achieving a purpose
Decode - to translate written symbols into words
Common misconception
Children may find it difficult to read words that are unfamiliar or not decodable with phonics strategies, e.g. 'special'.
Pre-teach important vocabulary from the text and explore their definitions.
To help you plan your year 2 english lesson on: Reading 'The Proudest Blue' and developing fluency, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 2 english lesson on: Reading 'The Proudest Blue' and developing fluency, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 english lessons from the 'The Proudest Blue': reading and writing unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need a copy of the 2020 Andersen Press edition of ‘The Proudest Blue’ by Ibtihaj Muhammad for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Starter quiz
6 Questions
a religion centred on the Quran and the teachings of Muhammed
a follower of the religion of Islam
a head covering worn by some Muslim women
Exit quiz
6 Questions
to decode unfamiliar words
to decode words and make meaning
to understand the overall meaning