Honey Ant Reader - Reader 15: Get that Fat Perentie

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.

Honey Ant Reader 15, 'Get that Fat Perentie' is the story of a family's day out hunting. They catch their tucker (food) and take it home for a lovely family meal beside the fire.

The rhymes, 'Cheeky Chook', 'Chin Chucka Chin' and 'Tji-tji' and the song, 'Cheeky Cheeping Chooks', at the end of the book, focus on the sound 'ch' which many Indigenous-language speakers find challenging, because this English sound is not present in their languages.. There are several pages of activities based on the contents of the book for the readers to have fun completing.