'We used learning logs as part of our online education offer. We were really impressed with the high quality planning sequences all planned and ready to use. Each video included a practical grammar session as well as opportunities for…
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At this point in time, the world is in a fearful, suspended state. This scenario is a first for everyone and, collectively, the plan is of survival. Beyond that? We don’t know. And understandably this can be a difficult…
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‘Unprecedented’ is certainly the word of the moment. All of a sudden, the country has been thrown into turmoil and we’ve all had to find ways to adapt. And while the global pandemic may have sparked a loo roll crisis, for most…
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Dialogue enlivens the fabric of a narrative through the different tones and timbres of characters’ voices. It is intrinsic to the art of storytelling. So, it is no surprise, that the skills around dialogue come up time and time again…
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In addition to our usual reviews this month, we loved the wonderful selection of authors and titles included with this year’s World Book Day £1 books that we thought we'd review some of our favourites! So, here's a few of…
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Journeys: synonymous with voyages and expeditions; the literal and the figurative. Going on a journey, being taken on a journey…literature can and absolutely does do this for us as humans. Of late, we’ve talked a lot at The Literacy Tree about direct…
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Whether hiding behind the pages of a good book, comforted by the protection of fictional worlds and made-up characters, or empowered by undeniable information, books are equally our protectors and our secret weapons. They allow us to visit new places, walk in others’ shoes…
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Here at the Literacy Tree, we thoroughly appreciate how drama can add a whole new dimension and depth to English. When Drama is peppered through a sequence of literacy lessons, it can bring a narrative and its host of characters…
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In February – the month of St Valentine (who, curiously enough, is actually the patron saint for those who have found love; the saint required for finding love would appear to be St Raphael…) a review of literature can only really be themed around…
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As the most book-ish of people here at the Literacy Tree, we’ve been particularly taken by the recent resurgence in the children’s non-fiction market. Gone are the days of the generic information text, left to languish on dusty bookcases labelled ‘animals’,…
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Here is a list of just some of our favourite wordless picture books. From collage and layering, to intricate pencil-drawn images, from watercolour to block colour, these books show the range and possibility of wordless texts and demonstrate why we…
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New Year often brings a fresh start. We may make a resolution or two. At The Literacy Tree? Well, our resolution is to increase the number Literary Leaves on offer for non-fiction texts. And this might actually have become our new favourite thing…
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Shared and Modelled Writing: Shared writing is a process teachers and home educators use on a regular basis to help children to understand how to write a particular kind of text and to provide them with a model piece of writing to emulate. It involves…
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We genuinely think there is no better gift than that of a book at Christmas. It can allow you to choose something so personal and thoughtful for a treasured friend to reflect your friendship or relationship, or can allow you…
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Last month we looked at the importance of vocabulary acquisition on the development of children’s comprehension skills. The main message here being that the more words children understand on the page, the more chance they have of understanding the text…
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Class teachers need to make the most out of their teaching assistants and undoubtedly a well-placed, well-prepared assistant can change the course of a lesson and ultimately the course of children’s lives. As TAs are usually on lunch/playground duty, they can also build relationships with children that…
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Adjusting to the new normal is something we all must do at certain junctures in our lives: seasons change and landscapes shift. And what could be more apt in this season of autumn to draw upon the eloquent musings in…
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A question we are asked time and again, especially by year 6 teachers, is 'how do we build children's stamina for reading?' It’s an important question, and one we know is grounded in preparing children for SATs rather than any…
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