Ayda Bang and the William Pike Challenge by Jodi Wicksteed is a reflective non-fiction text that weaves personal story with wider themes of challenge, perseverance, and identity. Through first-hand narrative and rich descriptive detail, the author follows Ayda Bang as she takes part in the William Pike Challenge, a programme that encourages young people to step outside their comfort zones through outdoor activities, passion projects, and community service. The text highlights Ayda’s determination, independence, and love of movement as she navigates physical challenges associated with Down syndrome while remaining positive and open to learning new skills. Inspiring, warm, and deeply personal, the text supports students to understand growth and resilience through lived experience and voice.

The text is ideal for integrated learning across literacy and health, supporting inquiry into inclusion, wellbeing, identity, and the power of perseverance in everyday life.

This pack contains wide range of response activities including:

• A guided reading plan exploring key literacy elements including inference and deduction, language use, making connection and text organisation, along with key questioning to promote emotional intelligence, metacognition and compassionate inquiry. 
• An independent learning contract complete with explainer videos for activity clarity
  
• A wide range of response activities to support developing and embedding key literacy skills including sentence and word work, spelling, and cloze activities. 

Curriculum Phase: Phase 3
Year Level: Year 5

English (NZC Levels 3–4): reading for meaning and critical thinking, analysing author perspective and voice, understanding biography and personal recounts, synthesising information, exploring descriptive and explanatory language

Health and Physical Education: wellbeing, resilience, physical activity, goal setting, emotional regulation, inclusion, relationships

Social Sciences – Aotearoa New Zealand Histories: community participation, identity and belonging, continuity and change, personal stories within social contexts

Text type: Non-fiction, personal recount, biographical narrative, informational text

Key words include: challenge, community, disabilities, Down syndrome, family, hobbies, identity, outdoor activities, rafting, sports, volunteering, whānau, William Pike