Why Virtual Approval Sets Are Changing the Way Schools Choose Books If you’ve ever spent an afternoon unpacking a physical approval box—sorting through titles, checking levels, making piles for “yes”, “maybe”, and “not this time”—you’ll know the process is equal parts exciting and time‑consuming. There’s something lovely about holding the books in your hands, but …
Reading is a vital building block to success when it comesto so many things in life and especially in terms of the subjects that yourchild will encounter as part of the school curriculum. In fact, research hasshown that reading is one of the best ways in which a child can improve theirvocabulary; the more a …
📚 Going All In: How the National Year of Reading 2026 Can Transform School Reading Culture Reading has always been one of the simplest, most powerful tools we have for shaping young lives — yet in recent years, it’s slipped into the background for many children. That’s why 2026, the official National Year of Reading, …
Laburnum House Educational are a proud partner of Renaissance Learning and we’re proud to be able to support schools with a wide range of books. We can offer: 📚 Bespoke Accelerated Reader Library Starter Packs ranging from anywhere between 280 and 1,500 books, priced between £1,000 and £5,000 after discount 📘 Carefully curated and levelled …
In an era dominated by screens, fostering a love for books in children is more important than ever. Reading for pleasure—choosing to read for enjoyment—has been linked to improved literacy, enhanced creativity, and emotional well-being. In schools, promoting this habit is essential in shaping lifelong readers. Why Reading for Pleasure Matters Research from the National …
Many primary schools use book bands for age groups to help easily identify both fiction and non-fiction books for specific reading ability. As well as being beneficial for teachers, it is also good for the pupils as it means they have free choice to independently choose a book they want to read from the specific …
Reading is the most important thing a child can do at school, and to enjoy it makes it even more magical. There has been a shift from the classic carousel guided reading to whole-class guided reading in recent years, due to a better learning experience for the students. So, What Is Whole-Class Guided Reading? Whole-class …
Reading a book is just magical, isn’t it? Whether it is 10 pages, or 200 pages, the power of reading is phenomenal for a child’s development. Let their imagination run wild with a fiction book, or educate them about a subject to instil passion with a non-fiction book. Keep their passion and engagement alive during …
At Laburnum House Educational, we have created a short survey, where we would love you to voice your opinions about us, this survey will not take you long and there is also a chance to win an amazing prize! All you need to do is take away a few minutes of your time for us. …
Let’s See The Benefits That Make Non Fiction Books So Amazing These days, children read a good amount of non-fiction stories, they are particularly important for the progress of their education within schools. Students love facts and information, and whilst it is important to teach them to read, it is also very important to help …
Learning is an extremely important and personal experience for people of all ages. Years ago, there was an assumption that everyone learned new material in the same way. Research has shown that there are several different types of learning styles and different ways that humans retain and process information. If you can identify a learning …
Let’s Find The Best Ways To Teach Phonics Phonics is a method of teaching children to read by linking sounds (phonemes) and a symbol to represent them, which is a group of letters. In this blog, we are going to go through the 4 following techniques to help you teach phonics easily: 1. Using different …
Created by the accomplished author, Francesca Simon and uniquely illustrated by Tony Ross, Horrid Henry is known to be one of the most successful children’s literary characters in the UK, runner up to Harry Potter. But with over 16 million book sales and counting, what made Horrid Henry the success that it is today? In …
Born in Wales in 1916, Roald Dahl is one of the most famous children’s authors but since he is best known for his short stories, engaging storylines and poems, the rest of his amazing life is often overlooked. Before taking the path to become one of the world’s greatest writers, Roald Dahl was a pilot, …
Stories are perfect for helping to develop a child’s imagination by introducing new ideas into their world. The beauty of stories is they can either be super realistic or incredibly fantastical. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of reading fiction books. Helps With Creativity Fiction books are great for developing children’s creativity. …
Research has shown the importance of reading and all the benefits it has from such a young age. However, if a child has a negative association with reading or there are barriers in place, such as a lack of support from home or learning difficulties, there are several strategies that teachers can adopt to make …
Accelerated Reader is a widely used computer program to help teachers understand the level at which children can read independently. It is a simple program that gets the true ability of each individual student through careful analysis, while saving teachers time. Renaissance provides students with a wide range of books to choose from, they then …
Education Support Partnership’s 2018 Teacher Wellbeing Index found that 67% of education professionals describe themselves as stressed. A teacher’s primary role is to look after their students, but it is more important to make their mental well-being the number one priority. Teaching unions are warning of an “epidemic of stress” which has lead to 3,750 …
In times gone by it was usual for families to gather around the dining table in the early evenings to enjoy a meal together and talk about the day’s events. It was also the perfect opportunity for a parent to answer any questions their child had about school homework. This blog discusses the top homework …
Lesson planning is at the heart of being an effective teacher. A successful lesson plan includes learning objectives, learning activities, an assessment to check for student understanding and the allocated time for each activity. A lesson plan allows for teachers to be truly pupil focused resulting in optimum learning and understanding. Creating lesson plans days …
As many schools get ready for the start of a new term, teachers of all levels will be resigning themselves to that fact that after 5 or even 6 weeks of summer holidays when routines have slipped, getting their students to focus in class will be something of a challenge. Pupils, especially youngers ones will …
In either a classroom or any child-rearing situation, there comes a time where teachers and parents must decide which technique they’ll adopt when it comes to teaching the young people in their care; but discipline, or praise, can be more than a carrot or the stick scenario. Used effectively, praise can be one of the …
Laburnum House Educational has been providing books to schools for over 25 years, our core business model revolves around fast and thorough customer service. We have vast experience within the education sector and have worked very closely with teachers to satisfy orders. Amongst our range, you can find a huge range of books specially designed …
Over the years, a significant amount of research has been carried out regarding the belief that when it comes to successful learning for children, even from a very young age, imagination is vital. When a child is interested in what they are learning and engaged with their subject, then their imagination is engaged as well …
Learning to read is an incredibly tricky skill to learn. So much so, that many children begin primary school with only a basic understanding of the 26 letters that form the alphabet. Don’t worry if your child isn’t able to read much more than this and their name when they begin school as many teachers …
