Taking stock: the top contenders for a Literacy Tree stock cupboard

C.S Lewis’ classic novel, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe begins with a wardrobe, a doorway through which the magical kingdom of Narnia awaits.  Indeed, across literature there are many such examples of portals to other worlds, and of course books themselves can act as those portals too, taking us off to faraway lands on literary adventures.  At this time of year, when teachers across the land are spending time unearthing long-lost artefacts from the back of their own classroom caverns (as well as hopefully having a well-earned break) we thought it pertinent to unpick the top items we’d recommend having in a Literacy Tree cupboard.  So here is our run-down of the top contenders we’d have in our treasure troves (and in fact do, at Literacy Tree HQ!)    

Resourcing

• Sentence strips – we often refer to sentence strips as the Numicon of English teaching.  These beauties are so versatile that this resource would always hold top spot on any Literacy Tree shelf, no matter which age group you are teaching.  With ever tightening budgets, a cheap alternative is to trim off strips of large sugar paper for the same effect.  A range of colours is always helpful to model and highlight specific parts of sentences.  And don’t forget to have a pair of scissors and a pack of post-it notes handy for cutting up, rearranging and inserting words and clauses!
• Post-it notes – we promise we don’t have shares in these, but this is another resource we couldn’t be without.  Post-it notes can be used in so many ways both for modelling and for children to use themselves.  They are brilliant for planning and summarising, substituting, and experimenting with vocabulary choices, particularly building up sentence strips with adverbials and prepositions (we like to use the square ones for individual words and the rectangular ones for phrases).  Shaped sticky notes can be equally helpful – we particularly like using the speech bubble post-its for inference and developing dialogue.  
• Editing ­equipment – different coloured pens can be a really helpful way of supporting children to identify where they have made changes and to clearly demonstrate the process of editing.  It works even more effectively if, as the teacher, you always edit your modelled writes in the same colour as the children use.  For those sections of writing that require significant edits, using editing flaps to stick into the margin and lay over the top of the original can also be useful. 
• Flipchart paper – flipchart paper is an essential teaching tool we couldn’t do without.  For the purposes of live modelling, a flipchart is vital in ensuring children can be shown the whole process of writing; this is not just about demonstrating accurate letter formation and handwriting, but about children being party to the thought processes involved in going from blank page to finished piece, including editing. 
• Coloured pens – using different coloured pens when live modelling is a great way of exemplifying specific teaching points, word classes or grammatical features.  This can support children as a complement to success criteria to draw their attention to particular skills and show them how to apply them in context. 
   

Instant publishing

• Letter paper, envelopes and postcards – One of the most common writing opportunities in our Writing Roots is giving children the chance to write in role through letter writing.  As what some might deem as a sadly dying artform, giving children to opportunity to write letters on letter paper and using envelopes is not only different and exciting, but it really heightens the sense of audience and purpose.  Put simply, if you’re going to write a letter to somebody, why wouldn’t it go on letter paper and into an envelope?!  The same applies to postcards.  A store of these items is a great addition to an English stock cupboard. 
• Luggage labels – Labelling and captioning can be given a greater sense of purpose through the use of luggage labels.  Whether to reunite a lost item with its owner, to tie a wish to the branch of a tree, or simply to label an item in a display, luggage tags provide endless opportunities for short written outcomes.
• Different types of paper and pens – Writing on different types of paper can provide greater immersion into writing in a specific time period or context.  Whether it be parchment paper for historical writing using The Great Fire of London, tracing paper to publish gothic narratives based on The Wind in the Wall or graph paper for technical explanations from Until I Met Dudley, using ‘special’ paper always has an impact.  Certificate paper and airmail paper can also come in handy for a number of Writing Roots.  Using different writing implements such as pencils, felt tips and cartridge pens depending on the context can generate particular excitement too! 

Discovery points 

We love seeing the exciting ways schools take on and embellish our suggested Discovery Points.  While some of these may centre around something simple like a thought-provoking question, it can’t be denied that we do love the use of props at Literacy Tree to fully immerse children into a book at the start of their journey into a text.  Some of the props we use time and time again (which can often be found lurking at the back of the school production cupboard, or in local charity shops) are:

• Bags and containers – a range of bags like satchels, briefcases, and backpacks – the more interesting the better to hide books or clues inside! Containers like old dusty cardboard boxes which might have been left in an attic and wooden boxes to use as treasure chests can also be used in multiple scenarios.
• Hats – a good stock of a range of different hats is a great way for instant characterisation and getting in role.  Fisherman, genie or police officer – make sure you have all bases covered!
• Brown paper and string – wrapping books up in brown paper or themed wrapping paper with string or ribbon is a sure-fire way to add excitement and anticipation to the big reveal of a new book.  Ribbon can also be used alongside parchment style paper for creating scrolls to unroll and reveal. 
• Trinkets and treasures – old jewellery, watches, gold coins and gems can all be brilliant to use as clues about characters, plots and settings.  Exploration-themed objects like maps, binoculars and compasses are also great to have to hand for generating questions and making predictions. 
• Fragile tape and police tape - these can have a multitude of uses!  Using tape for cordoning off areas of the room, school or playground, or drawing attention to a precious package instantly adds to the immersion and excitement in the classroom. 

 
For stationery fanatics like us, there is nothing quite as satisfying as that fresh classroom and cupboard at the start of an academic year.  We hope this inventory gives you some ideas for the useful items to have to hand when you teach through a text – do share any photos with us of your Literacy Tree shelves and cupboards ready to be used as we’d love to see them and share in that new year excitement!