[T4R] Stay For Dinner: L2 Making Predictions

The Book

Stay For Dinner

Written by Sandhya Parappukkaran, illustrated by Michelle Pereira, published by Bright Light

Stay for Dinner by Sandhya Parappukkaran is a vibrant celebration of cultural diversity and the connections made through shared meals. The story centres on a family preparing a special dinner for their child’s friends, offering a glimpse into various mealtime customs and table manners (AC9HP2P01 – Years 1 and 2, Health and Physical Education). Through the lens of this dinner, the book explores the emotional responses and questions that arise from cultural traditions (AC9HP2P03 – Years 1 and 2, Health and Physical Education), encouraging children to embrace diversity and appreciate the richness of different cultural backgrounds (AC9HP2P02 – Years 1 and 2, Health and Physical Education).

The narrative is brought to life with vivid sound and imagery words such as “squish,” “splash,” “slice,” and “prong,” capturing the sensory experience of the meal. Culinary terms like “papadum,” “sadhya,” and “dumpling” add authenticity and depth, inviting readers into the world of diverse cuisines. As the main character reflects on her and her friends’ mealtime experiences, the story underscores the importance of understanding and respecting different customs, fostering a sense of togetherness and mutual respect.

With its rich illustrations and heartwarming themes, Stay for Dinner inspires children to find joy in sharing meals and traditions, highlighting the value of friendship and cultural appreciation.

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Resource creator

Steven Huynh

Subject

English Language and Literacy,

Level

Year 2,

Description

This is lesson 2 of the Talk For Reading (T4R) unit: Stay For Dinner.

The lesson helps students make predictions about the text through Dialogic Reading.

Learning Intentions

• We are learning to make predictions about the text.

Successful Criteria

• I can use the front cover and pictures to help me make predictions about the text (AC9E2LY05).
• I can discuss my thoughts with my peers about what I think might happen and explain why (AC9E2LY02).

Curriculum Alignment

AC9E2LY02 9.0 (English Language and Literacy Year 2): Use interaction skills when engaging with topics, actively listening to others, receiving instructions and extending own ideas, speaking appropriately, expressing and responding to opinions, making statements, and giving instructions

• exploring ways to comment on what others say, including using sentence starters such as “I like the way you …”, “I agree that …”, “I have a different thought …”, “I’d like to say something different …”
• demonstrating appropriate listening behaviours, responding to and paraphrasing a partner’s contribution to a discussion; for example, in think pair share activities
• asking relevant questions and making connections with personal experiences and the contributions of others
• understanding how to disagree or respectfully offer an alternative

AC9E2LY05 9.0 (English Language and Literacy Year 2): Use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning

• listening for specific information and providing key facts or points from an informative or persuasive text
• listening and responding to detailed instructions
• integrating information from print, images and prior knowledge to make supportable inferences
• identifying the main idea of a text
• predicting vocabulary that is likely to be in a text, based on the topic and the purpose of the text; for example, predicting that “station” and “arrive” would be in a text recounting a train journey
• using prior knowledge to make and confirm predictions when reading a text
• using graphic organisers to represent the connections between characters, order of events or sequence of information

Materials

The book Stay For Dinner
Wonderings page
Post-it notes for prediction-supported questions

Instructions

Tuning in Questions
- What food do you think the characters are having?
- How is it different from the food you have at home?
- Have you tried them before? Are they delicious?
Sentence Starters
- I predict the book is about… because…
- I agree that …
- I like the way you …
- I have a different thought … because…
- I’d like to say something different … because…
Dialogic Reading
- Model reading with fluency, focussing on expression and intonation.
- Read the text while asking key questions to help children make predictions.
Reflection
- Discuss what happened in the story and their original predictions.
- Identify any new vocabulary that helps improve understanding of the text.

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