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#4 Word Detectives!
Kids love secret codes. They love playing detective and investigating things for themselves. In order to encourage children to become logophiles (word lovers), we’re going to unlock the meanings of words using a very special secret code – etymology! Etymology is the study of the true meaning of words. From personal experience, I think it’s…
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#3 Playing with Words (Poetry!)
This activity is inspired by Peter H Reynolds’ brilliant book The Word Collector. It’s a fun, creative poetry activity all about collecting and playing around with words! 1) Be inspired Watch this short Scholastic video* about The Word Collector by Peter H Reynolds. You can also read the story online here. *be mindful of adverts…
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#2 Create your own Imaginary Map
I have always loved maps within books. Much like novels themselves, maps can tell stories too. They often bring the real and the imaginary together. Maps are a brilliant way to explore imaginary lands inside our imaginations, providing a potential gateway to creative writing. Spending time creating illustrations gives us a starting point for bringing…
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#1 Meditation & Calm
It seemed only right to begin with an activity to help create calm. Who knows, meditation may even become a regular practice in your household as most of us are forced to ‘hit the pause button’ for a while… This first activity will explore the practice of meditation – a practice which is at the…
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Daily English Activities for Homeschooling
As we all try to do our bit to help children who will be learning from home for the foreseeable future, I would like to announce that I will be posting a daily English activity online from Monday to Friday, starting today. I am an experienced primary school teacher (KS2) with a specialism in English.…
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Online English Tools for Home Learning
In times like these, sharing teaching resources with each other is more important than ever! Below is a list of 10 useful (and FREE) online resources for teaching English, which may prove useful in the coming weeks during school closures. Please do feel free to share with teachers, colleagues and parents… 1) CLPE’s PoetryLine is…
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How I do it: Let’s Write for Pleasure!
I, like many others, have been a huge advocate of Reading for Pleasure for many years now, but Writing for Pleasure seems to have slipped the net. We depend on it as the largest indicator of success and progress in learning, yet it doesn’t quite receive the same limelight that reading does. Writing in primary…
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CPD Review: English Subject Leaders (CLPE)
Aside from having one of the most extaordinarily beautiful libraries I’ve ever seen, the CLPE is bursting with passionate, experienced educators who always leave me feeling inspired. I have been lucky enough to attend many of the brilliant CLPE courses over the past few years but this one in particular gave me so much to…
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Happy National Poetry Day!
This year, whilst researching ideas to celebrate National Poetry Day with my class, I came across Tony Walsh’s poem Take This Pen. I love how the energy and passion of the poem builds to a beautiful, lyrical crescendo. It’s an incredibly moving poem, beautifully illustrated by Chris Riddell, which reminds us that everyone has something…
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Book Review: You Won’t Believe This!
You Won’t Believe This! by Adam Baron, illustrated by Benji Davies Published by Harper Collins Children’s Books Recommended Key Stages: 2 Year Group: 4-6 You Won’t Believe This by Adam Baron is a completely captivating read, one where humour and wit walks hand in hand alongside two intertwining mysteries. Beautifully illustrated by Benji Davies, it’s…
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Inspiring Writing: Props & Stimulus
Sometimes, the best writing starts with just a little inspiration. “Books, in and of themselves, are magical doorways. Opening a book is as simple as opening a door in the real world, but often much more rewarding! Doorways within books are something special. A character who passes through a magical doorway into a world of…
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Visualisation and Art
Visual imagery is essential for memory, day dreaming and imagination. It can also be used as a powerful classroom tool and, when embedded in the writing process, can produce amazing results. I originally discovered this technique a few years ago during a training course led by the CLPE. I am a big fan of their…
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Literacy with Miss P 