Have you experienced the poignant power of picturebooks?
Can I give you a window into my world?
Are you sitting comfortably?
Then I’ll begin…
The following example of Shared Reading, which I’m sharing with you today, took place in Alternative Provision during a five hour online session with a thirteen year old student. They were in their home, in front of their laptop. I was in my home, in front of my laptop.
At the start of the morning, my student’s mum zoomed into the online tutor room. I heard reports of another disturbed night, before my student came on camera and slumped down, their head on the table so all I could see was the top of a woolly hat. I followed our usual routine, greeting them warmly before sharing the screen from my visualiser and offering them a choice of picturebooks:
“‘The Whales’ Song’,” came my student’s request.
It was the first time I had included Dyan Sheldon and Gary Blythe’s wonderful work in our picturebook selection.
I moved ‘Footpath Flowers’ by Jon Anne Lawson and Sydney Smith, ‘The Day War Came’ by Nicola Davies and Rebecca Cobb, ‘The Red Tree’ by Shaun Tan and ‘King of the Sky’ by Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin to one side, and brought ‘The Whales’ Song’ into focus under my visualiser.
I read the front cover and slowly opened the book. We shared the endpapers at the front. I turned over to the title page, where we found a new word to add to my student’s vocabulary: ‘jetty’.
“Can you read?” they asked. I read the first page, pausing for them to take in the illustration.
“Let me know when you’re ready for me to turn the page.“
They paused…
“Turn the page.”
I turned over, but said nothing. After a moment’s silence, I gave them a gentle nudge,
“Your turn.“
My student took over the reading, signalling to me when they were ready for the next page. I listened attentively for their self-corrections, which I praised specifically (taking care not to interrupt the flow of their reading).
I continued to turn the pages slowly until we reached the final endpapers. I was not prepared for what came next…
“NOOOOOOO!!!” they exclaimed, dramatically.
“That ain’t right!”
“THAT AIN’T RIGHT!“
“THAT’S WRONG!!!“
“Did the whales kidnap Lilly?”
I scribbled rapidly in my attempt to keep up with their steaming train of thought…
“COME ON!” they groaned, “Not all books have cliffhangers!”
“There needs to be a Part Two!”
“Why don’t you write a Part Two?” I suggested.
“Did Lilly become whale food?”
“Did she fall into the ocean?”
…
Do you see what I mean when I write of the treasure I’ve seen?
If that makes no sense to you, read my poem ‘Digging for Treasure’ in my previous blog post, ‘Online Teaching in Alternative Provision’:
Read with Julia 