In Literacy, we have been reading the story of The Runaway Chapati. The children noticed how similar it was to the story of The Gingerbread Man. We have learnt to tell the story using our class story map and by putting actions to some keywords. Later in the week we wanted to change the main characterto create a new version of the story. First, we generated some ideas on what the main character could be. Next, we voted for our favourite idea. After that, we edited the main story map to include our new character. We then talked about whether the repeated refrain "Run, run as fast as you can, you can't put me in your frying pan" needed to change. Willow Class' new character was a sausage. The children decided that sausages could be cooked in a pan, so we didn't need to change the repeated refrain. The club also helps to acquaint parents with how the British school system works and what we expect of the children.” This humorous tale is a retelling of 'The Gingerbread Man', but with a cultural twist. It is a lovely book that excites children at every point. It tells the story of a chapati who decides to run away because it does not want to be eaten by the girl who cooks it. On its journey into the jungle the chapati meets different animals, but during the chase it encounters a clever tiger who ends up eating the chapati. Oak Class' new character was a 'cupcake'. One of the children suggested a new rhyme for the cupcake. "Run, run as fast as you can, you can't put me in your mouth or your hand."

The aim is to improve parents’ confidence and show we value their skills, knowledge and culture,” she says.

Give AI a Try!

We have produced bilingual tapes, displays and books which can be used during literacy hour with the children. I feel confident that involving parents in the national curriculum helps the children gain confidence,” she says.

At another Hounslow school, Smallberry Green, language support teacher Amina Hassan organises regular coffee mornings for Somali parents, whose stories she collects and translates. She said: “We found that the national materials were somewhat limited in terms of the pupil needs. So the council’s language support service and literacy team worked in partnership to adapt them. This book was read to a year 1/2 class on one of my school placements. The children enjoyed every bit of the story and happily sang along to 'Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't put me in your frying pan!' They were fully engaged and were surprised to see the unfortunate ending of the chapati. In the classroom, this book is ideal to promote curiosity about different cultures. Many children did not know what a chapati was and described it as being similar to a 'pancake'. These types of books introduce new foods from cultures and help children learn about them. At Norwood Greeen junior school, special parents’ reading clubs are a regular feature. Rajinder Arora is the senior bilingual advisory teacher. Every week is Refugee Week for a dedicated language service in Hounslow, London. Sharon Breen reports

Rania Sinjab arrived in England from Syria last September and is a regular member of the club. She feels she gains a lot from being able to read with her son, Mohamed, in both Arabic and English. “My four-year-old also enjoys coming to the club and is starting to take an interest in reading too,” she said. Hounslow is also leading the way in welcoming refugee parents into the educational life of their child.