I'm pinching this brilliant idea from Twitter - so huge thanks to Mr. Booth for the inspiration, please do keep the ideas coming! Writing Amazon book reviews is an authentic, engaging way to motivate your children/your class to write book reviews. It's a lovely way to share our pleasure in books and reading (which can... Continue Reading →
Sometimes, the best writing starts with just a little inspiration. Today, that little bit of inspiration is going to be a key. Yes, a key! A key that could unlock the door to somewhere magical, special or even somewhere scary... Activities 1) Explore visual stimulus Have a look at some online visuals related to doors... Continue Reading →
I saw this incredible AR tool on Facebook and I just had to share it! It's a fun, creative, clever way to inspire creative writing that children (and adults) of all ages would enjoy! Which animals will be on the loose in your house? Activities 1) Google an animal on your iPhone or iPad. Log... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
I am a huge advocate of inspiring writing through authentic purpose and audience and one of my fundamental aims this year has been to raise literacy attainment through the use of engaging, creative literacy projects that do just that. The National Literacy Trust's writing enjoyment, behaviours and attitudes report (2017/18) shows that enjoyment of writing... 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 →
