Developing responses to 'Swallow's Kiss' through rich discussions | English

Starter quiz

Who is the author of 'Swallow's Kiss'?
- 'Sita Brahmachari' ✓
Which bird is the free verse novel about?
- swan
- geese
- pigeon
- swallow ✓
From whose perspective is the story told?
- Blessing ✓
- Ely
- Hani
- Mama
Match the character's name to their relationship to Blessing.
- Ely
  
  ⇔
  
  Blessing's baby brother ✓
- Mama
  
  ⇔
  
  Blessing's mother ✓
- Hani
  
  ⇔
  
  a friend Blessing meets at a refugee centre ✓
- Papa
  
  ⇔
  
  Blessing's father ✓
- Miss Afia
  
  ⇔
  
  an adult who walks Blessing to her mother's work ✓
True or False? Every time Blessing makes a wish she touches the mark left on her lip as a baby.
- True ✓
- False
From reading the text, which of the following are true?
- Blessing's father does not return.
- Blessing's mother sings Lingala lullabies to both her children. ✓
- Blessing does not care for anyone else.
- Blessing supports Hani who has a similar wish to her. ✓

Match the following keywords with their definitions.
- empathy
  
  ⇔
  
  the ability to understand other people’s feelings and point-of-view ✓
- connection
  
  ⇔
  
  how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world ✓
- recommendation
  
  ⇔
  
  a suggestion for a text that is suited to a reader’s age and interests ✓
Which of the following character traits does Blessing demonstrate in the text?
- rudeness
- kindness ✓
- hope ✓
- disrespect
What vehicle does Blessing's father drive?
- 'Lorry' ✓
Order the following events from the resolution of the story.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Blessing notices Hani entering a blue door.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Blessing and Hani are invited by a woman to make a wish bird.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Hani makes Blessing smile.
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  Both children make their birds 'fly' around the centre.
- 5
  
  ⇔
  
  Blessing's father arrives.
Which form of text is 'Swallow's Kiss'?
- illustrated verse novel ✓
- magazine
- newspaper
True or False? All of Blessing's wishes come true.
- True
- False ✓

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Swallow's Kiss has themes of empathy, friendship and respect.
Blessing demonstrates lots of positive emotions and character traits in the story.
Throughout the story, Blessing makes a wish for others by touching the mark on her lip, made when she was a baby.
Making connections and recommendations can enhance the reading experience and widen the reader’s understanding of texts.

Pupils may make a wish for themselves personally in Task A.

Ask pupils to consider the impact that they could have on their local community and wider world when discussing their wishes.

Character traits - Character traits are the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting.
Empathy - Empathy is the ability to experience and understand other people’s feelings and points of view.
Connection - How a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world can be called a connection.
Recommendation - A recommendation is a suggestion for a text that is well-suited to a reader’s age and their interests.