The School Band Level 6-8

The School Band is a moving story told through the eyes of a young boy who deeply admires his older brother, the school drummer. Subtly conveyed through the illustrations is the fact that the brother has Down's syndrome, adding a powerful layer of meaning about inclusivity and pride. The narrative structure shifts between past, present, and future, making it a strong model for personal recount writing. With expressive language and vivid verbs, this text encourages discussion about family, admiration, and diversity. Short sentences, repetition, and exclamatory phrases support fluency and add emphasis. The theme of inclusion and unspoken respect promotes social-emotional learning and empathy.

Educational Benefits:

• Models reflective and emotive personal writing
• Encourages inference and understanding visual text cues
• Promotes empathy and awareness of diversity and inclusion
• Supports verb recognition and sentence structure analysis

Classroom Ideas:

• Write a letter to someone you admire and explain why
• Discuss how illustrations can tell a story without words
• Explore the role of repetition in conveying emotion
• Use instruments or body percussion to create a class band

Safety & Information:

• Ages: 5+
• Size: 150mm x 210mm
• Reading Level: 6-8 (Yellow)
• Inclusive and accessible for diverse learners