Decodable Books and Picture Books – Not an Either/Or!

Phonically decodable books are back in the spotlight since the DfE brought out the new Core Criteria for phonics and published The reading framework: teaching the foundations of literacy in July this year. I’ll be honest – I’m a fan of…

Using Writing Journals in the Primary Classroom

Try Writing Journals and revolutionise your children's independent writing! Writing Journals (sometimes called Author's Notebooks) are vocabulary books in which children can capture gorgeous language that they can use again and again in the…

Closing the Learning Gap in English

Key Recommendations for Schools After such a difficult year, schools are now faced with the challenge of closing the gap in educational achievement in English. While we may not yet know the full impact of school closures, it is becoming apparent…
Poem a Day

Poem A Day Project

The Primary Poem a Day Project! We are so excited to launch our 'Poem A Day' Project! The aim of the project is to encourage teachers to commit to sharing a poem with their class on a daily basis ( this could be the teacher choosing and reading…

The Power of Poetry

...and a 'Poem a Day'.   There are oodles of benefits to sharing poetry with your class. It is a fabulous way of introducing pupils to new vocabulary and helping children to explore imagery and figurative language. (It is in poetry…