Page 9 - Raise Coronavirus Edition 3

Reading a school-set book or watching its film adaptation as a family will no doubt be incidental to what your school is doing in its learning-from-home English classes. But it can provide a great experience both for learning and for family. But if you are looking for some cues to start a conversation, top educator Lyn Sharratt has provided the following from her site:
• Knowing what we know about who created this text, how do we expect the author to treat the subject matter?
• Why are we reading or viewing this text?
• What do we already know about the text based on what we can see (Pictures/illustrations)?
• What do the images/pictures suggest? What do the words suggest?
• What kind of language is used (words are used) in this text? What is its influence on the message?
• What do you interpret to be the author’s intent? Explain.
• With whom do you think the author wants us to identify or sympathise?
• Who is the target audience? How do you know?
• How might different people interpret the message of the text?
• How are children, adolescents, young adults or parents represented in this text? Are boys or girls represented differently?
• What has been left out of this text that you would like to have seen included?
• Is the text fair? Does it treat the subject matter/sides/parties fairly?
• Who benefits from this text? Who does not?
• What does the reader/viewer need to know ahead of time in order to really understand this text?
• What is real in the text? What is not real? How is reality constructed?
• How might the creator of this text view the world? Why do you think that?