The Premium Purchased Stand-alone Curriculum Resources (Middle years novel studies units) are an optional addition to our core English curriculum. They’re created to be complementary to our free core supports if teachers wish to use them.
For example, they can be used in place of the existing ‘English block’ resources as alternatives to the novels currently supported in Years 3-6. Alternatively, they could be used as an extended unit over a single term when teachers want more intensive opportunities for close reading and writing in response to a complex text. They could also be used to support students in Years 7 and 8 (Stage 4).
Another key difference is the focus of the units. The core novel studies are composed of explicit reading and writing instruction. The primary purpose of the Premium Purchased Stand-alone Curriculum Resources (Middle years novel studies units) is to gain a deep understanding of the text. Although students are writing as frequently in these as they do in the regular units, the writing is primarily used as a vehicle for thinking and expressing ideas from the novel they are studying.