Identifying Themes and Conventions

[Pages:2]Hamble Primary School

Skills-Based Reading: Planning Guide KS2

Linked Domains NC Objectives

Teaching sequence

What do children need to know to be able to do the skill?

Identifying Themes and Conventions

Themes and Conventions

Language for Effect

Inference

Monitor and Summarise

Year 3 and 4:

Identify themes and conventions in a wide range of books. Year 5 and 6:

Identify and discuss themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing.

Make comparisons within and across books.

Provide reasoned justifications for their views.

Explain that this unit we are going to be working on themes and conventions of different books. This isn't so much a strategy that we can apply to a small section of text but helps us think about the message that the author wanted to give the reader and what `big ideas' it makes us think about as we read. We have to think about the story as a whole when we do this, and it may be that there are number of themes that occur throughout or at different points within a text.

Display the question: What is the difference between a theme and a convention? Conventions are a bit like key features ? they occur in similar books and help you think about what to include if you are writing a certain type of text. The best example for this is a traditional fairy tale. Discuss what story conventions we know that appear in well-known fairy-tales. What would any convention of e.g. Julia Donaldson's books for younger readers be? (rhyming, talking animals). When thinking about conventions think KAG ? Key features, Author, Genre. These are things that are SIMILAR across a range of linked books.

Now discuss term `theme'. A theme is specific to that story. Show/provide children with some possible themes and the definitions to ensure that all children know what the words mean. Using the current text, talk with children about which of these themes might be appropriate so far in the book. Model explaining, e.g. I think that Journey to the River Sea is about acceptance and belonging, because Maia hasn't got a family and wants to be accepted somewhere. She feels that she belongs in the rainforest. Acceptance is important in this story because Finn is accepted by the people of Manaus and he wants to stay there. The Carters have not accepted the way of life out in Brazil and in return, the people of Manuas have not accepted them. Continue discussion through class and in small groups about other themes relevant in the text.

When discussing themes, ensure children justify their choices. Model good discussion language ? provide sentence starters like : `I agree with.... because' Following on from that... I don't agree because... I think that is a good point because.... Also/In addition...

Follow-up Task Ideas (Creative)

Explain that we can make links to other books we have read, using theme as a common factor. Ask the class ? what other books can you think of that have e.g. acceptance as a theme?

List of themes ? can children think of a text that they know that has each one as a theme? Can they explain why they think that theme occurs in that text?

Venn diagram to compare 2 known stories ? encourage children to think about both themes and conventions when comparing (and also about character and setting ? these can sometimes be conventions of certain authors).

Give children a selection of texts by the same author or from the same genre ? can they determine any conventions within these? Are there similar themes or not?

Children read a new short text or picture book and identify themes. Write/tell orally why they think they are correct with the theme they have chosen.

Opinion scale ? children have list of themes and rank where on a scale of 0-10 that the text lies in relation to each theme. Give reasons.

Hamble Primary School

Skills-Based Reading: Planning Guide KS2

Follow-up Task Ideas (Critical)

Example questions from previous SATs ? adapt for specific

text

Example Question Stems

Expositional ? literal questioning (looking

questions)

Example Question Stems

Exploration ? inference/deduction

based on the text (clue questions)

Example Question Stems

Expansion ? evaluative/ opinion Qs linked to wider

world (thinking questions)

There have been no SATs questions yet based on Themes and Conventions. Use the question stems below and adapt for texts.

Can you find extracts that deal with the theme of...? Which conventions of genre X has the writer used? (Compare with exploration question ? `based on what you know so far, which genre do you think the book fits?')

What big ideas are there in the text? What is the writer suggesting about X? How is the theme of X presented within the text? What are the writer's views on X? What was the underlying theme of..?

Is this similar / different to a text you know? Do you know another instance where . . .? Could this have happened in..? How is...related to...? Why did the author write this story? If . . . happened, what might the ending have been? How was this similar to...? What do you see as other possible outcomes? How is . . . similar to . . .? Can you distinguish between..? What changes to . . . would you recommend? How effective are..? What do you think about..? Would this text be better as poetry/prose/a letter/an article etc.? Would this text be better if the writer had...? Do you agree with the writer's view on?

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