[T4R] Stay For Dinner: L9 Summarising

The Book

Stay For Dinner

Written by Sandhya Parappukkaran, illustrated by Michelle Pereira

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.

View Book

Resource creator

Steven Huynh

Subject

English,

Level

Year 2,

Description

This is Lesson 9 of the Talk For Reading (T4R) unit of Stay For Dinner.

This lesson helps Year 2 students identify the text type and structure to summarise the story’s key information.

Learning Intentions

• We are learning to summarise the text.

Successful Criteria

• I can Identify and explain key aspects of a narrative text (AC9E2LA03).
• I can retell and rewrite the story in my own words through the key events of the text (AC9E2LY07).

Curriculum Alignment

AC9E2LA03 9.0 (English Year 2): Identify how texts across the curriculum are organised differently and use language features depending on purposes

• identifying the typical features of a text; for example, a typical introduction to a narrative or the use of dot points in instructions
• identifying that different types of texts might have different forms; for example, an expression of opinion might be in the form of a poster, email or brochure
• identifying the organisation and language features in texts such as narratives, recounts, information reports, simple procedures, expression of opinion and responses to texts (including poetry), and discuss their purposes

AC9E2LY07 9.0 (English Year 2): Create, rehearse and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations for familiar audiences and purposes, using text structure appropriate to purpose and topic-specific vocabulary, and varying tone, volume and pace

• preparing and delivering oral presentations using more formal language and specific vocabulary about content area topics
• sequencing ideas, points or events appropriately
• adjusting volume and tone when speaking in more formal situations

Materials

The book Stay For Dinner
Stay For Dinner – Summarising sheet

Instruction

Tuning-in Question
- Use the template to explore: “What kind of text is Stay for Dinner?” (e.g., report, recount, or narrative).
Discussion
- Confirm that the text is a narrative.
- Discuss the major events and match them to the correct part of the narrative structure.
Summarising
- Write one sentence for each part of the narrative structure.
- Present summaries to the class.
Further Investigation
- What would happen if one part of the structure was missing?
- Would the story still convey its message effectively?