Text-analyst

A valuable resource provided by Linda Willis and Narelle Daffurn that provides all data that relates to how the student is able to analyse the different texts. This is as they look for deeper meanings to what the author has depicted. Its a resource that is to be always considered in the selection of different texts for the class where it provides a range of questions that a text-analyst asks relating to both written and visual texts.

The activities would be best undertaken after the book has been read, students will have developed an idea from the beginning of the read-aloud session the different characters in the text and how they are reacting differently to different situations in various texts. Within the texts read, students will try and “identify the audience purpose of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts.” (ACELA1678), which will be in the key words and images being portrayed.

The activity above will be used to gain students initial thoughts as it relates to ants. This will also be an introductory lesson into writing. This is as they create a collection of single terms (emergent writers) or simple sentences (early/fluent writers) that they feel will best describe their thoughts.

As they progress and are able to connect their sentences together, students will work in pairs as they each take on the role of either boy or ant. Throughout this session, students will “contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas and negotiate in collaborative situations.” (ACELA1676). A key focus will be in the terms used in their discussions that makes for good reasoning as to why the ant should or shouldn’t be squashed. The language of appraisal will be identified here in the use of terms used by each character

Selecting a phrase from the text to use as an example and working together with students in identifying the terms that imply how different characters are feeling. This will be a cause for the reader to try and identify Identifying if feelings or emotions are present at all, if so, what are they? What words describe this? How does this make you (the student) feel?

Providing them with the ‘Inference Jigsaw’ as other phrases from different crayons in the text are selected as students make inferences as to what each crayon is saying.