#front-loading

Back in 2012, I hit a bit of a slump. A lot of my colleagues at work had transitioned to full-time roles, and I was left behind as a part-timer. One afternoon, a former workmate spotted me and pitched an idea. He was working for a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) company based in Balibago, Angeles City, and enticed me to join. I was looking for a way to bridge my income gap, so I bit. It took me an…

Sentence one: In the silence of the cold, dark night, she died; with no food, no strength and a hollow feeling in her stomach it was transparent she wasn’t going to make it until the morning.

Sentence two: ‘there is enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed’- Mahatma Gandhi 

(Image sourced from: https://emilysquotes.wordpress.com/2014/05/11/the-world-has-enough-for-everyones-need-but-not-enough-for-everyones-greed/)

Front-loading: 

By incorporating front-loading activities into any literacy lesson provides students with an opportunity to further develop their own critical thinking processes and their ability to comprehend. These activities can be related to the text such as making predictions on what the book is about, or can focus on going completely beyond the text such as making connections between text clues and their background knowledge. A front-loading activity that would be suitable for the picture storybook ‘Dust’ would involve students making a prediction on what they think the book is about. Before reading or opening the book, students should thoroughly investigate the front cover, taking note of the title and any minor details in the illustration or images. From here, students should be able to make some sort of prediction about the book. Does it look like a fairy-tale, or more of a nonfiction story? Does it look like a comedy, or a mystery? Then ask ‘why’? What are some clues that indicate the genre of the book? The task will then involve students creating their own blurb for the chosen book (Dickins, 2017). Before reading the real blurb, students should produce their own, somehow linking it to their own prediction of the book. Students should be encouraged to introduce the main character/s and the setting, while focussing on incorporating short sentences and even cliffhangers in aim to draw in the attention of the reader. This task should encourage students to use their imagination, also drawing on the text clues and illustrations to infer the intention of the book. 

Week 6 Prompt Response

(Above: Cover of ‘Dust’)

(Image sourced from ECL310Deakin)

(Image sourced from ECL310Deakin)