This project was inspired by the Teachers as Readers (TaRs) research and through my role as the leader of an Open University/UKLA TaRs Book Group (you can find out more about that here). Our book group is based in Blackheath and meets approximately once per half term. We share and discuss children's literature and explore... Continue Reading →
Last year, I created a Literacy Calendar - something I'd wanted to sink my teeth into for a long time. I’ve always felt it would be one of those things that's incredibly useful to have and to share with staff, yet something we rarely have time to research or create! It proved so popular amongst... Continue Reading →
Yesterday I was honoured to receive the 2019 Egmont Reading for Pleasure Teacher Award, in the category of experienced teacher! The announcement was made at the OU/UKLA Finding and Sharing Pleasure in Reading Conference in London, where I also led my first workshop on The Power of Reading Aloud. My RfP journey started little over... Continue Reading →
Just because independent reading does not have a learning objective attached to it, does not mean it isn't valuable. Just because it cannot be tested, does not mean it should lose curriculum time. Sadly, creating time and space for reading is something that many teachers struggle with (given the ever-increasing demands on our already crowded... Continue Reading →
The Teachers as Readers research project (Cremin et al, 2008) highlights the importance of relationships between children, teachers, families and communities and how this has a strong influence on RfP (Reading for Pleasure). I wanted to build reading relationships beyond the classroom not only between the kids in my class but also between the children... Continue Reading →
I originally saw Jon Biddle's excellent Reading Rivers report on the Open University's Reading for Pleasure website. It stems from an idea originally explored by Pamela Burnard (2002) whereby the 'river' was used as a reflective tool to represent key musical experiences. It was then further explored by Gabrielle Cliff-Hodges (2010) with secondary readers and... Continue Reading →
If your school does not yet have its own magazine or newspaper, founding one can be an amazing opportunity to encourage reading and writing across the whole school community. It’s a fantastic way to get kids into journalistic writing, generating their own ideas and taking ownership of a producing a publication. Starting from scratch can... Continue Reading →
I had known for some time that my knowledge of children's books was a weak area and when I came cross the Open University's self-review document for teachers whilst scrolling through twitter one day, I thought, 'why not?' I clicked on the link and started dutifully answering the questions. It was worse than I thought. I was lured... Continue Reading →
I was thinking about National Libraries Week (taking place from 8 - 13 October 2018) and how we might celebrate our much-loved school library, when I stumbled upon the idea of having a blind date with a book. The aim is to encourage children to explore new genres and authors in an exciting, engaging way and the 'blind... Continue Reading →
The Day War Came by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb Published by Walker Book, £10 (£1 from each copy sold donated to Help Refugees)Recommended Key Stages: 1 or 2 Year Group: 3+ In 2016, our own government refused to allow 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees to enter the UK. Around the same time, Nicola Davies... Continue Reading →
Building vocabulary is essential for all pupils to ensure that they are able to access the curriculum and reach their full potential academically. Of course, vocabulary building continues to evolve throughout our lives, but creating a curiosity around words from a young age can have a big impact. Embedding positive reading and vocabulary-building habits can... Continue Reading →
If there is a better way to motivate and excite children about books, than by turning them into published authors, I do not know about it. Publishing books gives children the most authentic purpose and audience for their writing and is an incredible way of inspiring writing in school. Publishing, sharing, performing and celebrating their... Continue Reading →
