Exploring My Place

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Read with appropriate intonation and phrasing, paying attention to punctuation.
• Clarify meaning by using context clues and vocabulary discussions.
• Draw inferences about characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives, justifying with evidence.
• Develop understanding of text structure through maps and timelines.

National Curriculum Links (English - Reading - Year 4)

• Word reading: Apply knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes to understand new words.
• Comprehension: Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read by:
  • Listening to and discussing a wide range of fiction and nonfiction.
  • Drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives.
  • Predicting what might happen from details stated and implied.
• Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation: Recognise grammatical patterns in texts.

Success Criteria

• I can read aloud with expression, recognising punctuation and phrasing correctly.
• I can use clues in the text and pictures to explain the meaning of challenging words.
• I can explain how a character might feel by looking at what they do or say.
• I can explain why the author used a map and timeline to help me understand the story better.
• I can sequence main story events accurately.

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Resources

• Text: My Place by Nadia Wheatley & Donna Rawlins, pages: Front Cover, Map, 1988.
• Printed copies of the timeline and map pages for groups.
• Individual copies (dyslexia-friendly format) of selected text extracts.
• Vocabulary flashcards (Aboriginal, Bourke, Bicentennial, Lebanese takeaway).
• Whiteboard, coloured pens.

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Lesson Structure (30 minutes)

1. Starter (5 mins) — Vocabulary Retrieval & Fluency Focus

• Engage: Show vocabulary flashcards on whiteboard.
• Discuss: Ask pupils what each word might mean; use visual clues (map, timeline).
• Model pronunciation and discuss how words might be pronounced carefully in reading.
• Fluency Focus: Teacher reads aloud front cover and map page, emphasizing phrasing and punctuation (pauses at commas, stops at full stops).
• Pupils practise reading aloud in pairs, mimicking the teacher’s tone.

2. Whole-Class Reading & Discussion (15 mins)

• Read aloud selected passage from page 1988 together.
• Pause at vocabulary or context clues:
  • What does “resist” mean here? (Use timeline context to support)
  • What are Laura’s feelings about where she lives? Evidence from text (“I like where I live because...”, or body language?)
• Use VIPERS questioning (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, Sequence):
  • Why did Laura’s family move from Bourke? (Retrieval)
  • What might earlier versions of “My Place” look like? (Prediction)
  • Why did the authors include a map and timeline before Laura’s story? (Explanation)

3. Think-Pair-Share Discussion: ABC Model (6 mins)

• Present statement on board: "Laura feels proud of her identity and her place."
• Explain Agree, Build, Challenge:
  • Agree: Pupils discuss why they agree based on evidence.
  • Build: Add new points or reasons to support their agreement.
  • Challenge: Offer a different viewpoint — What might Laura feel uncertain about?
• Pupil pairs discuss; share key points with class.

4. Sequencing Activity (3 mins)

• Provide pupils with jumbled event cards from the story:
  • Laura introduces herself
  • She explains the Aboriginal flag
  • She describes her family
  • She talks about Gully
  • She explains moving from Bourke
  • They have a picnic under the big fig tree
• In groups, pupils arrange cards in order; teacher confirms and summarises as class.

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Differentiation

Group	Strategy
Struggling readers & EAL pupils	Dyslexia-friendly text copies with larger font and spacing; paired reading with supportive peers; pre-teach vocabulary.
On-track learners	Independent reading and answering VIPERS questions orally to build confidence.
Advanced learners	Extension prompt: Write a short paragraph predicting how Laura’s story might change in the future or from another character’s view.

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Assessment and Next Steps

• Teacher notes pupils’ responses to inference and vocabulary questions for formative assessment.
• Observe reading fluency during pairing.
• Next session to build on inference skills and introduce creative response to text.

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Additional Tips for Teachers

• Use expressive gestures and voice modulation to model intonation.
• Position pupils to facilitate paired and grouped discussions for more active participation.
• Display the Aboriginal flag and timeline visuals prominently during the lesson to deepen cultural understanding.
• Integrate short movement breaks focused on ‘reading with expression’ to maintain engagement.

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This lesson will not only develop essential reading skills but celebrates cultural diversity through My Place, enabling pupils to connect personally and contextually with the text. It aligns precisely to the Year 4 National Curriculum expectations while using the DfE 2025 Reading Framework strategies of vocabulary exploration, inference, and discussion to deepen comprehension.