Category: teaching & learning
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A field guide to reading fluency
Just a quick entry to share a recent blog for Herts for Learning that looks at reading fluency in a variety of ways. Within, you will find: definition of terms; why it matters; how we might help to develop this aspect of reading when development stalls; cautionary notes around use of strategies and approaches as…
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The Promise: KS2(+) teaching suggestions
Following my last blog I received a number of requests for the planning ideas that I mentioned, based on Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin’s powerful fable The Promise. Before reading on, you may want to watch Nicola Davies talk about the book, the process of writing it, and at around 3 minutes into the video,…
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Not reopening but blooming: picturebooks for new beginnings.
Up until 2015, prior to some literary hijacking by Max Porter, hope was the thing with feathers. We know this because Emily Dickinson said so. Hope is a curious word. I used to think it was my favourite word and so an early gift from my then not-yet-wife contrived to keep ‘hope’ very close at…
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One school/one book: immersive whole school book studies
Over the past few years, I have been lucky enough to work with Hare Street Community Primary School in my home town, Harlow. It’s a wonderful school by any measure. Most striking, is the sense of community. It’s very evident, almost as soon as you enter the building. Of course, this is predominantly down to…
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A short blog about short stories…
I shan’t beat about the bush. This is not how it was supposed to be. I have just spent most of the afternoon writing a blog on the use of short stories in KS2 and lost all of it just before publishing. This is take 2 with some of the heart removed. Apologies. Out of…
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Pick ‘n’ mix: other blogs and articles on reading and writing.
My personal blog was looking a little (very) sparse, and I keep meaning to add to it. Hopefully I will in the summer. Busy times though, eh? . For the sake of avoiding the ‘one track record’ label, I’ve gathered some links to some of my other bits and bobs written across the past couple…
Quiet Fireworks 