Grandma Bird / After Reading / Writing Opportunities /
Through Noi’s Eyes
Writing from a character's point of view.
Lesson from Grandma Bird series
Required reading: Whole book

Subjects
- English
- Food technology
Strategies used
- Writing in Role
Purpose
Writing in role provides the opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of the critical events of the story. It also develops children’s abilities to empathise with characters and see things from a different point of view.
Preparation
Have available:
- writing materials
- a collection of postcards would be useful as some children may not have any experience of either sending or receiving one.
- blank postcards.
Process
Start with the children’s experience.
- Has anyone ever written or received a postcard?
- Why do people send postcards?
- Postcard used to be very popular before social media made it easy for people to post their holiday photographs online.
Introduce the word ‘correspondence’, which is used to describe an exchange of letters, postcards, or emails.
The most straightforward writing task is for Noi to send a short postcard home to his dad, comprising three to five sentences conveying his news about the events of the summer.
For a more challenging writing task, the children could write two postcards to dad. The first written on the day Noi arrives at the island expressing his uncertainty at staying with Grandma. The second one following the bird rescue.
Final reflection
Invite the children to consider whether they could imagine themselves as Noi when they were writing. Encourage honest reflection.
- Did imagining that you were Noi make it easier or more challenging to write?
Key vocabulary
postcard, correspondence