We know that the assessment of children’s attainment in English can feel like an overwhelming task for teachers and subject leaders. English is not a subject where knowledge can be neatly measured through performance on a test; it requires a…
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We’ve long-known just how important it is that children connect with the literature that they read. Forming deep connections with characters, plotlines and themes supports so many different developmental points on a reader’s journey. That which we connect with is…
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Children’s use of language comes to life when it has a clear audience and purpose – not just because it is an English lesson or because they must tick their way through a checklist, but rather because they are acutely…
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Last term, we began exploring the various considerations needed when choosing which books to use at different points across the school year. In the second part of the blog, we will examine further some of the aspects to take into…
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At Literacy Tree, we believe that it’s crucial to expose children to a diverse range of voices and experiences through the books they encounter. This helps to communicate to all children that people with lives similar to their own are…
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In the second part of our How to Use series, we look at the Mixed-age Planning Suggestions (MAPS) . Mixed-age classes can be challenging for teachers, particularly when it comes to planning writing. This ‘how to use...’ guide gives teachers…
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What if some things in life – things that appear to be ‘set’; a ‘given’ weren’t really so? The whimsical nature of fairy tales, whilst possibly rooted in some truth are riddled with plot-holes where the science just doesn't add…
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At Literacy Tree, we believe that it’s crucial for children to encounter a wide range of lives, experiences and cultures through the texts that they read. Diversity to us doesn’t mean ticking a box. It means telling children that people…
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Over the last year, we have added new Writing Roots to our overall Reception provision. These include the beautifully illustrated Ning and the Night Pirates by the talented Adriena Fong as well as the heart warming And Tango makes Three…
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Picture books have been having a ‘moment’ for a while now: we know that the depth that illustrations can add to already beautiful words can make for an extraordinary pairing. Picture books can also be a gateway into independent reading…
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Deciding which texts to use across different parts of the year is one of our favourite things to do with our schools. While we hope that our suggested curriculum maps give schools a starting point with which to work, we…
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At Literacy Tree, we believe that it’s important for ALL children to see themselves and their families represented in the books that they read and to understand that families come in all shapes and sizes. For this month’s booklist,…
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We always say that books can be a window to the world for children but so too can they immerse readers in other worlds, times and places. Douglas Adams of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy fame wove together a…
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What does a Literacy Tree INSET look like? As consultants, we are lucky enough to work with schools on a wide range of needs to support them with the teaching of English. As primary teachers, English specialists and Writing Moderators,…
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In the first of our How to Use series we look at the curriculum maps. This simple guide looks at how to interpret curriculum maps to meet the needs of your own setting. Schools and individual teachers may…
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A central part of the Teach Through a Text approach are the discovery points that are placed (usually) at the start of each of our Writing Roots from Reception to Year 6. We strongly believe that these are essential parts…
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2023 has been another extraordinary year for new children’s literature so – to be honest – it is a near-impossible task to choose just a few books out of all that we’ve reviewed. However, we’ve eased the burden* by thinking…
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At Literacy Tree, we pride ourselves on offering a complete platform of support for the teaching of primary English. From the original seed of our Writing Roots to support the teaching of writing, we branched out to include our Literary…
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