The rigorous requirements of the reading framework require deep engagement and response to texts. Reading Gladiators can help prepare pupils for these demands in an engaging way, within the context of reading for pleasure. Immersing children in quality, demanding and varied books. Participation in high level discussion helps develop deeper reading skills, builds reading stamina and helps to nurture adventurous readers.
Reading Gladiators – Year 2, Autumn 2
In Autumn 2, the Year 2 Reading Gladiators have been reading the book ‘The Wall in the Middle of the Book’ by Jon Agee.
The children discussed what a wall is and why it would be useful. They created their own walls using a stamping technique (which is good retrieval from the printing that we have done in Art) – they then added to these walls in a later sessions adding warnings so people did not cross it.
The children learnt about the Berlin Wall and thought about how this would make them feel if this happened in their country. Linden said that it would make him angry.
When reading the story the children thought about the vocabulary of protect, safety, beware and dangerous. They used the inference VIPER to try to think what the knight in the story could be protecting.
The children came up with some great adjectives to describe the disgusting ogre – see below!
Finally the children sequenced the characters from most to least dangerous, this created lots of debates! Marc for example thought that the knight would be more dangerous than an ogre because of his/her sword.
Well done Reading Gladiators!
Reading Gladiators – Year 2, Spring 2
In Spring 2, the year 2 Reading Gladiators have been reading the book ‘My Life as a Goldfish’ which is a collection of poems.
In the first session the children discussed what they thought of as a poem. They came up with poetry features such as: alliteration, repetition and rhyme, and were even able to name some different types of poem, such as: diamante, acrostic and free verse.
We then looked at the poem Never Never Never, and the children were impressed with how many features they could pick out independently!
In the second session the children focused on the title poem of the book My Life as a Goldfish. They wrote predictions of what they thought it could be about before reading the poem, some children were impressed with how accurate their predictions were!
The children then acted out their own version of the poem in partners, taking it in turns to read the poem, and then be the goldfish! We then did some freeze frames of how the goldfish must have felt every time it saw the cat.
In the third session the children started discussing what they thought about when they heard the word ‘fire’. They came up with some brilliant ideas.
Then children then read a poem called Flame. They really enjoyed this poem and did some role play to re-enact.
In the final session the children began by thinking about the following quotes:
“Poets often turn to writing a poem when they experience a strong emotion and have the need to express it.”
“The reading of other people’s poetry can also give comfort or a sense that you are not alone in how you are feeling.”
The children discussed lots of different emotions that they can have and how this can make them feel. Scarlet said that a poem might be a “lovely way to describe how you are feeling”.
To finish the session the children read aloud the limerick A Sad Ending. The children found it very entertaining, and were surprised that this was actually a funny poem!
Reading Gladiators – Year 2, Spring 1
In Spring 1, the year 2 Reading Gladiators have been reading the book ‘Horace and Harriet by Clare Elsom.
In the first session the children discussed statues – what they are and what they are made from. The children listened to the first page of the book which describes the statue and had a go at drawing what they think it looked like.
We then looked at what the word ‘perfect’ means to us. The children thought that it was ‘something that was the best it could be.’
In the third session, the children used their vocabulary skills to skim read pages to find particular words, and then try to work out what they meant. These words included ‘cringed’, ‘assemble’ and ‘envious.’ The children thought about the question ‘Are Horace and Harriet friends?’ and we couldn’t all agree! It was great to hear the children discuss their opinions.
In our last session we striked poses like statues! We finished by talking about what we thought Horace and Harriet have learned by the end of the story. The children showed some fantastic inference skills!
