Wild
Why choose this book?
Wild is a deceptively simple narrative with a patterned structure, which makes it accessible for children in year. However, it has the potential to introduce complex, philosophical discussion around the themes of freedom, nature, education and civilisation.
Text potential
This diagram gives an overview of the potential for teaching offered in this text. If you teach the entire sequence, you will cover these aspects. We advise teachers to produce their own text potential diagrams as this helps them to get to know the books well. Our Getting Started with Take One Book course for new schools has a module about Text Potential.
Curriculum connections
- Geography
- physical features: forest
- Science
- animals including humans: human and wild animal relationships
Wild:Half class set
Buy from Best Books for SchoolsWild:Class set
Buy from Best Books for SchoolsLessons for this book
Our lessons are organised as meaningful chunks of learning. Most of them will fit a standard 45 minute to 60 minute session. However, some of them are shorter and others will run for a series of linked sessions. It is anticipated that you will not teach all the lessons. Select those that suit the needs of your class and add them to your personalised plans.
Download the full scheme of work
Before Reading
Hook
Everland
Making an emotional connection with the main character.
Orientation
Born to be Wild
Exploring the concept of wild, associations and key vocabulary.
Friend or Foe Bingo
Analysing the characteristics of wild animals as a precursor to thinking about the feral nature of the wild girl.
During Reading
First Encounters
Wild: First Reading
Reading aloud to establish literal understanding and develop fluent reading.
Required reading: Whole book
Wild: Think Aloud
Using the Think Aloud strategy to model inference strategies and comprehension monitoring
Required reading: Whole book
What Does it Mean?
Identifying key vocabulary and thinking about how it reflects the story’s themes.
Required reading: Whole book
Picture Detectives: Searching for Clues
Close reading of an illustration to locate important clues
Required reading: Pages 17-18
Digging Deeper
The Missing Page
Exploring two consecutive pages to find a ‘readerly gap’ and make inferences.
Required reading: Pages 13-16
Wild: Changes
Identifying changes that take place in the story
Blurb, blurb, blurb
Reading the blurb to look at how readers interest is piqued.
Required reading: Back page
After Reading
Review and Reflect
Wild or School?
The themes of freedom and choice are discussed in relation to children's experience
‘And here is today’s news…’
Working in role as investigative journalists to build the story context.
Required reading: Pages 15-16
Learning to be Human
Exploring big ideas through text to world discussion.
Required reading: Whole book
Jungle School
Which animals would best teach Wild the rules of the jungle?
Required reading: Pages 3-8
Writing Opportunities
Newspaper Report
Writing a report based on how the girl came to be rescued from the wilderness.
Required reading: Pages 11-14
Wild’s Bedroom
Using information about Wild’s character to design an ideal bedroom.
Required reading: Pages 23-26
Wider Learning Opportunities
Supplementary Books
These books are recommended for wider reading and further research to support this teaching sequence. A supplementary pack is available from our bookselling partner, Best Books for Schools. Books can also be purchased individually.