One of the picture books we've explored is 'The Fierce Little Woman and the Wicked Pirate' by Joy Cowley, beautifully illustrated by Sarah Davis. This story vividly describes a fierce little woman living at the end of a jetty, knitting socks and playing bagpipes. When a lonely pirate disrupts her solitude, the story unfolds with themes of kindness and understanding.
Through repeated readings, students not only learned new words and also grasped their meanings through discussions.
jetty - made out of rocks or wood and goes out over the water.
trap door - a door that leads outside on the floor or roof.
fierce means someone will attack you, or who is angry.
The pirate was going to bash the door down. She didn't throw him out to sea. The pirate was going to bash the trapdoor open.
Students even retold the story from memory, demonstrating their comprehension and engagement with the text.
Another book students explored was 'I am Jellyfish' by Ruth Paul, where students identified descriptive words such as "glittering," "glows," and "tingle," deepening their understanding of imagery and sensory language.
Ollie - glittering - sparkling
Max - glows - lights up
Billy F - demanding - the swordfish’s tummy wants the jellyfish.
Beyond vocabulary development, these sessions encouraged creativity. For instance, after reading 'The Paperbag Princess' by Robert N Munsch, students created their own costumes and discussed character traits like bravery and independence.
when you call someone a Toad it means they are not nice.
Elizabeth rescued Ronald and then he was mean to her.
Elizabeth tricked the dragon.
My passion is to create a love of learning so my students become ‘lifelong learners’. My focus is the importance of acquiring knowledge so I can keep informed and keep my students up to date with new learning strategies.
I am a local here and enjoy all that Taupō has to offer. I love walking with my husband and dog by the lake or river, having coffee with friends, family gatherings, and gardening. When not in Taupō I enjoy being by the sea at Papamoa.
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