Corban the bug expert

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Reflection - what these stories exemplify

Key competencies

Finding an interesting bug on the way to school provided Corban with a focus of interest to stimulate his learning. His engagement resulted in an authentic purpose for using language, symbols, and texts – writing the bug’s name – which in turn has much improved his achievement in writing his own name. Corban’s writing gains have provided him with confidence to participate in the routine class sharing session and contribute to a degree he had not been able to previously.

How might these stories strengthen Corban’s identity as a learner?

Corban was highly motivated by the bug and wanted to share his find. He did so in oral and written forms – forming the letter “b”, independently writing over and under the letters in his story, and reading his story to the class for the first time (agency). The power of the bug brought new learning at school in his handwriting, written language, mathematics, and sharing time, not to mention the encouragement he received from home for his interest and learning success (breadth). Corban’s learning was distributed across a number of mediating resources. He shared his bug with the class in an expert role; did some recording; counting; helped the teacher look for his bug in books; and wrote a humorous story and shared it with his peers (depth). Great learning can come from small things!

For more information on the four dimensions of agency, breadth, continuity, and depth (ABCDs), refer to Narrative assessment: a guide for teachers.

Learning areas

Level 1 English

Levels 1 and 2 science

These stories are in the Speaking, Writing, and Presenting strand – Corban is learning to write most letters legibly. In the Listening, Reading, and Viewing: processes and strategies strand he is developing an awareness of the connections between oral, written, and visual language. Corban is also developing an understanding of science at levels 1 and 2, living world, evolution where he is recognising there are lots of different living things in the world and that they can be grouped in different ways.

Effective pedagogy

What does this tell us about teaching and learning in this setting?

Corban was so excited at being the expert about the bug he had found. It was delightful to watch him realise that he had something other people wanted to see and know about (facilitating shared learning). Corban’s interest allowed me to use the bug to put a variety of deliberate acts of teaching in place to further his learning adventure in different areas of the curriculum (enhancing the relevance of new learning).

Reflective question for the reader

“Do I make sufficient use of my students’ obvious interests from their world to build learning opportunities for both them and their classmates?”

Useful resources

Ministry of Education. (2003). Effective literacy practice in years 1 to 4. Wellington: Learning Media.

Pollard, S. (2003). I am an insect. Auckland [N.Z.]. Reed.

Thompson, S. C. (2005). Children as illustrators: making meaning through art and language. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

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