Week 5 Term 4: English Department: Junior English Program 2025 (November 11 - November 15)

 One of the goals for the English Department this is term is: 

Redesign our Junior English Program 
Our hope is to redesign the Junior English program that it aligns to Te Mataiaho (Curriculum Refresh model) and allows the space for a deep dive into structured literacy.  We are aiming to work alongside our Library Department to ensure that we use the space in a meaningful way with our Year 9 and Year 10 students. We are wanting to encourage ‘reading for pleasure’ in our program next year.

The purpose of redesigning our Junior English Program is to ensure that it aligns to Te Mataiaho (Curriculum Refresh model and framework) and that it prioritizes a deep dive into structured literacy strategies. This is an important priority and goal for the English Department as we want to make sure that our Year 9, 10 and Year 11 English programs are connected and make sense. The main key that I want to focus on is 'engagement' - we want our students to engage with English through exploring different text types and crafting different text types. Learning, creating and sharing their texts that is mana enhancing. 

Junior English 2024

The heart of our Junior (Year 9 and Year 10) English Program (from Te Mataiaho: The Refreshed New Zealand Curriculum). The theme is Our Story + Our Voices

Language and literature give us insights into ourselves and others

The stories of Aotearoa New Zealand are unique taonga tuku iho

Stories are a source of joy and nourishment

Communication depends on shared codes and conventions

Literature, language, and texts embody power relationships

• We will look at Our Stories - we will look at the stories and experiences of others and you will write about your own story and experience.
• We will focus on Our Stories - we will look at the stories and experiences of those in our community. You will create a text that is a response to the stories we have studied from our own community.
• We will explore Our Stories - the stories and experiences of those inside and outside of our community. The stories of our community in Glen Innes, Aotearoa New Zealand and in the world are unique taonga tuku iho. 
• We will explore Our Voices - We will look at the stories and experiences of others. You will craft an oral text as a response.

Understand/Know/Do - Junior English Program 2025 (Draft)

Understand/Know/Do - Junior English Program 2025 (Draft)

The four key areas that Junior English curriculum is centered around are from Te Mataiaho (as seen in the image above and highlighted below). 

Te whakamahi rautaki ki te whai māramatanga | Comprehending and Creating Texts

Te tātari arohaehae | Critical analysis

Te pānui hei whakangahau, hei whakapārekareka | Reading for pleasure

Te tūhono mā te whakawhiti kōrero | Connecting through storytelling

In my next post, I will show the draft outline of the program that we will offer for Year 9 and Year 10 English and themes that we will focus for each term.