We hope you enjoy the LTE lesson exploring the book “Rain before Rainbows” by Smriti Halls.
You can read the book again https://stayhome.walker.co.uk/rainbows/.
Please share your thoughts, creative writing and responses to the book below.
Let's Think in English is one of the cognitive acceleration programmes developed at King's College London.
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A section of a verse novel from a student at Richmond upon Thames School, inspired by Rain before Rainbows and the LTE lesson adapted to introduce year 10 to GCSE English.
I taught Rain before Rainbows as the first lesson of the year with a Year 7 class.
Their associations with rainbows at the start of the lesson already carried a degree of symbolic representation. They agreed on:
Happiness after sadness
Kindness
Luck
Mystery
By the end of the lesson they agreed that their initial list was not inaccurate, but needed to include these elements:
Giving thanks
Relief
A sense of accomplishment
Resilience
Rather than creating conflict with their existing understanding, the story and their thinking rendered it more layered, more subtle and perhaps more humble.
Below you can see the captions the group wrote for the images and some of their bridging task symbols of hope
page 2
page 3
page 4
I’ve taught this lesson to a range of KS3 classes at Cheam High since we returned to school and have been really impressed with the depth of understanding in the responses from my students. Their confidence in exploring symbolism has been brilliant. It’s been a lovely positive message to focus on and the students seemed to have really enjoyed it. Thank-you.
Very clever story, made me think a lot. Really enjoyed doing this in class. Very good
We’re pleased you enjoyed it Harry.
Very good layout and made me ponder over its meaning whilst still enjoying the beautiful images.
I love the message this lesson gives. Even though it is a children’s book, it’s still an important meaning to everyone. In lockdown my family and I posted 100 hanging rainbows with the message “We can do hard things”. We all appreciate a rainbow.
Herb, thank you for your post and beautiful picture. What a wonderful thing to do as a family.
Ambler Year 6 pupils considering different symbols and an alternative ending.
Considering alternative narration for the illustrations.
Very good book as it makes you think a lot. Would recommend.