Honey Ant Reader - Reader 14: A Big Man Grabs Sister

The Honey Ant Readers (HAR) is an exciting literacy program that Indigenous learners can relate to and succeed with.

It is the first ever early reading program in Australia to be developed in collaboration with, and at the request of, Indigenous elders and community and written specifically for speakers of Aboriginal English. It is underpinned by sound pedagogy and second language acquisition theory and supported by songs and rhymes which teach Standard Australian English.

In Honey Ant Reader 14, 'Big Man Grab Sister', two sisters go out looking for bush tucker when one strays away from the other. The ensuing drama ends happily with members of the family helping little sister to find her big sister.

The author adapted the community story, as told to her by Western Arrernte elder, Trudi Inkamala, to fit it into the rationale of the HAR.

There are 2 songs at the end of the book, 'Big Fella Grabs Big Sister' and 'Find Another Camp'. They recount the story of 'Big Man Grab Sister' and can be used to teach vocabulary, pronunciation and aspects of Standard Australian English (SAE), such as the third person 's', for example 'takes, hides'. There are 5 pages of comprehension and other activities for the readers to do, once they have read the book.