Talking Through Books – EAL project

Our Talking Through Books projects are aimed at primary aged pupils who are at the “Developing Competence” stage of proficiency in english.   For further details please contact the your local ethnic minority achievement advisory teacher.

Flotsam is a wonderful wordless picture book. It tells the story of a science-minded boy who, whilst visiting the beach with his parents, discovers a barnacle-encrusted box brownie camera. The photographs that he develops from the film in the camera are nothing short of astonishing. The surreal underwater world of robotic fish, aliens and giant starfish is both marvellous and puzzling. The photographs of other children who have found the camera in the past are equally fascinating as they take the reader on a journey through continents and time.
The engaging activities in this ‘Talking Through Books’ project include: finding flotsam in sand, exploring the mechanics of a real box camera, creating an underwater picture, timeline and tracing the camera’s journey.
The project takes place over the course of 6 weeks and is aimed at pupils learning through EAL in Years 2 and 3, although can be easily adapted to suit older ages.

The Tunnel by Anthony Browne is an exciting story of a brother who seeks adventure and a sister who follows. The reader travels through the tunnel with the boy and his reluctant sister into a fantasy world where the siblings face surprising challenges and where they gradually discover how important they are to each other. It is a moving story with beautiful illustrations that encompass striking and intriguing details.

This ‘Talking Through Books’ project incorporates activities such as: Gallery Walk; Role on the wall; What’s inside the tunnel? Decision Alley; ‘What do I know?’ board game based on the text.

Skies Above My Eyes is a non-fiction text which begins at ground level in a busy city. Looking up, street signs, high rise buildings and window cleaners on a cradle can be seen. The reader is then taken on a journey up into the air, through the atmosphere, and out into space, before heading back down to Earth again. Each page is packed with beautifully detailed illustrations that engage and inform. The book has an unusual concertina layout, extending to 2.5m.

The exciting ‘Talking Through Books’ project based on this text includes: drama activities; a science experiment exploring craters; creating poetry, stories and mnemonics; finding out what it is like to live on the International Space Station, amongst other activities.

We are also trialling a brand new project: Induction Programme for KS2 late arrivals. 

Designed to provide focused support for a Year 5 or 6 pupil who is new to English or in the very early stages of learning English. The scheme facilitates access to school life and the curriculum whilst giving a boost to confidence, by familiarising the pupil with key vocabulary and language structures.

The seven sessions cover: classroom survival language, key family and classroom nouns, key verbs and adjectives, prepositions, expressing likes and dislikes.

Last updated 30 January 2023