Books about Dads
This month, our children’s book expert shares recommendations for books about dads. Perfect for celebrating Father’s Day.
Story Structure: Quests and Journeys
A hugely popular article considering story structure and how understanding it, can help children with their own writing.
The Polar Express
A selection of teaching ideas for The Polar Express to get you and your class feeling Christmassy.
Love your school library
A selection of ideas to help you get the most from your school library.
Good books to read aloud
What better learning is there than learning to listen; to enjoy the cadence of a voice as it takes you on journeys to other worlds; to experience vocabulary beyond your reading ability, words that wouldn't arise in your daily interactions; to take time out for pleasure; to learn to remember and resume with a narrative; a chance to predict, to make deductions and to problem solve. Reading aloud to children opens up a new space in the classroom, somewhere where the ordinary pressures and hierarchies of school dissolve.
Forbidden Food in Stories
Food appears in many stories, often as a vehicle for moving the narrative forward. In this article we consider where food features in well-known stories and how children can use these examples in their own writing.
To boldly go... and come back again: voyage and return stories
A hugely popular article looking at voyage and return (sometimes called home-away-home) stories. The article refers to well-known children’s stories and films and shows that knowing the structure of these stories can support children with their own narrative writing.
Neil Armstrong: celebrate his legacy with a picture book
An article celebrating The Sea of Tranquillity by Mark Haddon, whilst giving a nod to Neil Armstrong.