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Text studies#
Ideas to support text studies at home
With your teen, you could:
- read a fiction or non-fiction text, in print or digitally, and discuss how it relates to your lives, what you both think about it, and why
- research the setting of a historical text they are studying in class and discuss how the work reflects the events of that time
- discuss the fiction they are reading and talk about different possible endings for the story
- read different reviews of the texts they are studying in class, and talk about how the writer expresses their opinions of the work and the evidence they give
- watch a film together and talk about how the director uses features like lighting, music, camera angles or the way characters speak in important scenes to highlight key ideas in the story.
What the teacher will focus on#
The teacher will focus on supporting your teen to:
- analyse different points of view and perspectives in a range of texts to develop their comprehension and critical thinking skills
- explore how the different features of a text such as characters, theme, setting, layout, language work together to create meaning for the listener, reader or viewer
- understand how the historical and social events of the time a text was written influence the work
- understand that texts can present 1-sided or biased ideas, and that these messages can be interpreted differently over time.
By the end of Year 9, your teen will be able to, for example:
- express opinions on language based on their own reading and background knowledge and use a range of information sources to back up their opinions
- know why authors use language techniques to suit the purpose of their work, to shape meaning, challenge ideas, and entertain readers
- know how to recognise when information in a text might be false or misleading, and understand how different viewpoints are presented
- understand that texts by authors in New Zealand reflect our unique way of storytelling and may also connect to global literary traditions.
Words your teen will be learning
Words include:
- literary tradition
- thesis statement
- context
- bias
- language, style and structure.
Language studies#
Ideas to support language at home
With your teen, you could:
- listen to a speech by a hero or role model and discuss why the language is inspiring
- write and rehearse a speech for a whānau | family celebration, and reflect on the choices they need to make to create different moods in the speech
- support them to rehearse and deliver their speech, and help them to practise using pauses and tone of voice to create meaning for the audience
- support them to research topics they are learning in class and discuss how to use information as evidence for their arguments
- craft a humourous poem or creative story about a friend or family member as a special gift for them
- write an email to a local council requesting an upgrade to a facility such as a skate park, using persuasive language.
What the teacher will focus on#
The teacher will focus on supporting your teen to:
- use speech and body language to express ideas confidently and participate in discussions, presentations and meaningful conversations
- create texts for different audiences and purposes (persuasive, creative and informative) in written, visual, and digital forms
- identify and apply features of formal and informal texts to their own writing
- plan and structure ideas that include different viewpoints in speeches, texts and visual presentations, and back them up using detail and examples
- know the characteristics of different types of formal and informal presentations and texts unique to New Zealand and from around the world
- learn how to organise and express their ideas about a text in a formal literary essay.
By the end of the year, your teen will be able to, for example:
- understand the importance of being clear about the audience and purpose of a presentation or text before drafting ideas
- use a range of language techniques and visual elements to make messages more effective when speaking or writing
- know the difference between active listening (questioning to clarify and summarise) and critical listening (questioning to assess) and when and how to use each
- write characters and stories in ways that help readers care about or relate to them
- draft and edit the spelling, grammar, and structure of their work and, using their language knowledge, make purposeful decisions when using grammar tools in word processing software.
Words your teen will be learning
Words include:
- context
- argument
- counter-argument
- evidence
- symbolism
- emotive language.
