It's that time of year again! As you all know by now, I love to plan ahead and each year I update what I call my 'Literacy Calendar' to include key dates, competitions, book awards, events, days and weeks that help to inform my school planning for the year ahead. This is my third year... Continue Reading →
Easter Weekend is certainly looking a little different this year. We might not be able to go out and visit friends and family, but we can certainly make the most of staying safe at home. One way to do that is to have some fun in the kitchen! My favourite Easter activity as a child... Continue Reading →
It's time for more good news in the form of thank yous and shout outs to our local heroes. Why? Because they deserve it! This task is inspired by this week’s issue of The Week Junior. The front cover features our wonderful NHS carers, who are working around-the-clock to keep our country safe right now.... Continue Reading →
This brilliant guest blog is from my awesome friend and colleague Miss E (who you will also find over on Twitter). We share a love of all things literacy and Miss E is full of wonderfully creative writing inspiration. She's hugely passionate about English and has been keen to contibute with exciting ideas and writing... Continue Reading →
Receiving post is incredibly exciting for children (and adults!). As we are all forced to slow down our pace of life, it's the perfect time to pick up a pen and spend some time writing a letter. Not only will it give students an authentic purpose and audience for their writing, but it will also... Continue Reading →
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 →
