This article puts key reading skills extracted from the Australian Curriculum’s achievement standard into specific lessons in a sample unit, so we can have a clearer understanding of how they and the literary aspects of text we’ve analysed at the beginning of the planning process are utilised in Talk for Reading.
Sample Unit Structure
As we have known, the Talk for Reading approach begins by introducing children to a text to build a basic understanding. It then guides them through strategic reading to investigate the text more deeply and uncover its central themes. In the final phase, children are given the opportunity to demonstrate their independent understanding. The following are 11 suggested lessons for a Talk for Reading (T4R) unit. You may adapt them to suit your teaching goals and strategies.
Introduction Phase
Children are introduced to the text to build a foundational understanding of its content and context.
Lesson 1 – Background Knowledge
- Introduce the topic with a hook to spark curiosity.
- Engage children in discussions about the book’s content.
- Predict the story based on the book cover.
- Use charts (e.g., KWL, wonderings page) to record prior knowledge and thinking.
Lesson 2 – Comprehension Strategies
- Teacher models reading with fluency and expression.
- Predict what might happen next (Dialogic Reading).
- Provide and explore the context of the text.
- Share opinions and prior knowledge about the topic.
- Record initial responses.
Lesson 3 – Personal Connections
- Teacher reads aloud with fluency and expression.
- Discuss what the text reminds them of.
- Share likes/dislikes about the text.
- Justify how the messages relate to their personal experiences.
Lesson 4 – Vocabulary Expansion
- Teacher reads aloud (or line by line with the students) with fluency and expression.
- Pause at unfamiliar vocabulary and clarify meaning.
- Decode or recognise new words.
- Make verbal and written sentences using new words.
Lesson 5 – Literal Retrieval
- Teacher reads aloud or rehearse reading with the class, demonstrating fluency, intonation and expression.
- Use clues (e.g., words, illustrations…) to answer literal questions.
Investigation Phase
This is where the literary elements we consider at selecting a quality text come into play.
Lesson 6 – Key Messages
Literary elements: Main themes, viewpoints…
- Teacher reads aloud or rehearse reading with the class, demonstrating fluency, intonation and expression.
- Use Dialogic Reading to pose challenging questions.
- Summarise the key messages of the text.
Lesson 7 – Inferences
Literary elements: Characters, settings, issues…
- Teacher reads line by line, focusing on characters/settings, or your focused areas.
- Monitor and question to better understand characters, settings… (e.g., What is the character like? What motivates them? Why is this the setting?)
Lesson 8 – Text Comparison
Literary elements: Viewpoints, characters, settings, main themes…
- Teacher reads aloud or rehearse reading with the class, demonstrating fluency, intonation and expression.
- Explore a similar-topic text.
- Compare characters, settings, and/or key messages, including illustrations and/or other literary features.
Lesson 9 – Language Features
Literary elements: Author’s Choice/Use of Language, including the illustrations
- Read together line by line.
- Justify the author’s language choices and/or the illustrator’s images, colour, and tones,
- Experiment by creating your own versions using these features through oral presentations, short writing, and drawings.
Lesson 10 – Text Structure
Literary elements: Author’s Choice/Use of Text Structure
- Read with expression or rehearse together.
- Identify the features of the text structure (i.e., a narrative starts with an opening, ends with an ending, and must have a problem in it.)
- Examine how it serves its purpose or suits the target audience.
- Identify language indicators (e.g., “Once upon a time” → narrative).
Independent Phase
By this phase, teachers should be able to identify opportunities for students to demonstrate their deep understanding.
Lesson 11 – Forming Deep Opinions
- Self-read aloud, or show effort to read aloud, demonstrating fluency and expression.
- Reflect on the text using prior and content knowledge, and key messages to evaluate the text, or
- Justify a character’s motives, plot by making references to the text.
Curriculum Alignment
Being familiar with the Australian or State Curriculum is crucial (i.e., Understand the scope and sequence). It helps you:
- Quickly identify if a text is suitable for your year level.
- Identify how text content (i.e., literary elements) matches learning outcomes or curriculum descriptors in English and other learning areas.
- Design lessons that deepen comprehension and build core knowledge across learning areas, general capabilities, and cross-curriculum priorities.
Other Considerations
Embedding activities: I would embed hands-on activities, using visual arts, drama, or design and technologies, into each lesson or at least some of them to help immerse children in the context of the text. These activities also reinforce understanding and encourage creativity.
Revisiting your Unit Synopsis: Always revisit the unit synopsis when you get new teaching ideas or design new activities. It helps you stay aligned with your learning intentions and maintain focus throughout the unit.
Differentiation: In my experience, almost every reading skill deserves its own lesson. That way, every child gets enough time to process the learning and practise that particular skill. The timing for each lesson depends on your students. It could range from 30 to 60 minutes per lesson. Flexibility is key. Tailor the pace and approach to suit your cohort.
Final Thoughts
This article offers a practical example of how key reading skills along with literary features of text can be structured into a full unit of Talk For Reading. With clear links to the curriculum and room to personalise, it provides a helpful base for confident, intentional reading instruction across the early years.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.