The first school I ever taught in was a stone’s throw from the sea, in an area of significant deprivation on the South Coast. Safe to assume then, as a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed NQT, that our first topic of ‘Seaside…
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There are a lot of big changes for children to deal with in a new school year – some exciting, some daunting: new teacher; new routines; new things to learn and of course new books to read. Whilst thoughtful, planned…
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Economic, political and environmental instability is adding stress to a global society that has felt under pressure for some time now. Many of us are mentally and emotionally depleted following the Covid-19 pandemic and some now face poverty on an…
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When I was introduced to The Literary Curriculum, I was intrigued. I had always felt, strongly, a pull to centre children’s literature within my literacy provision. So, to find such a thorough and well-structured bank of planning sequences, based on…
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Children are naturally drawn to the mystery and wonder of space exploration and naturally ask big questions about our planet Earth and its place in the universe. With much ground being broken in space technology over the last year, it…
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With the summer holidays already begun for some of our members and just around the corner for others, we’ve been busy planning our reading: books we’ll devour in one sitting; books we’ll guzzle and gorge upon on long journeys; and…
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We were so pleased to hear the news that the wonderful poet, playwright and author, Joseph Coelho has been named the new Children’s Laureate. We have had the pleasure of working with Joseph and seeing him in action during school…
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Courage and bravery are so often portrayed as overt, physical heroics, involving dramatic rescues and acts of daring but isn’t courage other things, too? Daring to follow a dream is courage; being a truth-teller is courage. Courage is going to…
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Science comes instinctually to many children as from an early age they begin to ask all sorts of tricky questions which can very soon test our general knowledge as adults! Children want to understand cause-and-effect in the world they observe…
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Pride and celebration are this month’s themes: pride in ourselves and each other and celebrating our worlds and the realities of others. This includes elevating perceptions of others through acknowledgement of what makes them different – including what others enjoy–…
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We are often asked how to support children to be independent writers, especially as moderation and end-of-year assessments loom. The concept of supporting children towards independence could sound like a contradiction-in-terms, but it is a concept that underpins all our…
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6 Tips for Teaching EAL Children After completing my NQT year, my first teaching position was in a vibrant school in North London where thirty-nine languages were spoken. It was a hugely rewarding experience to teach multilingual children from all around…
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The passing of time, looking to the past for lessons and answers and projecting into the future are often the most engaging themes in literature. For some, being transported into a world that once existed is powerful in terms of…
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When doing our monthly webinar we get asked a real range of questions from Headteachers and Literacy leads about the Literary Curriculum and how it has been put together. Recently the most common question has been how we choose the…
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As the seasons change and winter thaws to spring, we have in mind Carly Simon’s Academy Award-winning song, Let the River Run which signifies hope for the future, ambition and following one’s dreams: it’s asking for the taking… Let the…
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We love graphic novels here at the Literacy Tree. They are a superb way to encourage children to devour complex stories and to get children hooked on a series of books with exciting characters and expansive worlds. It is important…
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As we approach the 25th anniversary of World Book Day, we think that this year’s chosen theme – You are a Reader – encompasses what the charity set out to achieve by bringing books into the home, particularly for children…
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Every resource we write, that forms part of the Literary Curriculum, uses the book as the main driver for any writing that takes place within the sequence. Each sequence journeys through the text and we ensure the writing outcomes match…
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