Description

Step into memory, connection, and language with These Long-loved Things by Josh Pyke and Ronojoy Ghosh – a warm, reflective picture book that offers the perfect context for exploring personal pronouns and Theme in the clause.

This lesson plan helps students identify personal pronouns (e.g., I and you) and understand Theme—the element that begins a clause and sets up what the rest of the message will be about. Through the book’s gentle storytelling and evocative illustrations, students see how language choices shape perspective, create intimacy, and guide the reader’s focus.

By analysing the text closely, students discover how pronouns help position the narrator and invite the reader into shared experiences, and how Theme choices influence meaning. The story’s personal, nostalgic tone makes it an ideal springboard for teaching these grammatical concepts in a meaningful, emotionally rich way.

Aligned with the Australian Curriculum: English Version 9 for Years 1 to 6, this lesson includes differentiated strategies for a wide range of learners and encourages them to apply pronoun use and Theme positioning in their own writing.

The lesson plan includes:

Step-by-step teaching guide using the gradual release of responsibility model
Modelled reading and discussion prompts for exploring sound words and sentence rhythm
Group analysis tasks to identify pronouns
A creative writing prompt to apply personal pronoun knowledge.
Reflective prompts connecting knowledge about language to comprehension.
1 x printable student resources, a Sentence Flipper writing prompt