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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We have chosen some of our favourite non-fiction books that are beautifully illustrated too! Many of these are hardback and feel like the kind of reference book you’d want to keep out on your coffee table too!
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The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread…
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As the nights are drawing in there is always a sense of wonder at the inky blanket across the world, the stars in the night sky and the feeling of cosying up on the sofa perhaps with a log fire…
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In the month of celebrating the birthday of the late Cesária Evora, the Cape Verdean vocalist and recording artist nicknamed the ‘barefoot diva’, we are thinking about stars: stars in the fame and fortune sense as well as stars that…
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It’s this time of year again. As the curtains close on Summer, minds tentatively return to the logistics of setting up a classroom and as always there are many questions bouncing down school corridors: Which books will I be using?…
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We've taken the top of our TBR* piles and reviewed them for you in case you needed to create your own pile. And if if you didn't, well have a look and be nosey about what we've enjoyed of late.…
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It’s nearing the end of the school year and the promise of the summer holiday - those endless (hopefully) sun-lit days - is tantalisingly close. But first there are sports days, concerts and fetes to attend. There are also change-up…
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