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 …
If you’re into books, it’s highly likely that you’ve heard of the coveted post of Children’s Laureate. In short, it’s a position awarded every two years to an author who has really made a difference in children’s literature. Generally, authors are nominated by esteemed groups of librarians, critics and other writers, but recently children have …
There are many among us who look back on their childhood years and fondly remember the hours of pleasure spent reading. Whether it was surreptitiously done after lights out under the duvet or while sitting in a favourite chair during winter months, or even while outside in the summer garden, reading was for many a …
The “What Kids Are Reading” report for 2019 has been released and shows some interesting trends. Over 1 million children across 5,000 schools were surveyed on their reading habits and favourite books to compile the study which has been tracking pupil reading habits for over 10 years. Jeff Kinney and David Walliams remain popular, as …
Reading for pleasure has a more significant impact on academic success than having a parent who has graduated from university, yet only 32% of children (up to age 13) share storytime with an adult and some schools have no allocated curriculum time for class storytime once children leave the confines of the Reception classroom. Once …
Being a child can be remarkably stressful. As we grow older, it can be easy to forget our formative years in primary and secondary school, with anxiety over studies, exams and generally trying to find our footing in the world looming over our everyday lives. Exams, in particular, can lead to some of the most …
Instilling a love of reading early on in life is the perfect way to ensure an ongoing addiction to books. It is important therefore to make sure that our children are engaged by the first ever books we ask them to read. Whilst it is, of course, important that these early reading books focus on …
Despite the proliferation of electronic aids to communication and research, a humble dictionary is still a powerful tool in the literary armoury whether it be an online version or in printed form. The Earliest Dictionaries The oldest known dictionary is said to date back to around 2,300 BC, was discovered in what is now Syria …
From his origins as one half of the comedy duo that created Little Britain to his fairly prolific output as a newly-minted writer of books for children, you may be surprised to learn that David Walliams is the answer to the question. With his latest book, The Ice Monster, selling a massive 110,000 books in …
Bridging Assessment and Teaching In this ever-increasing technological society, Star Assessments from Renaissance Learning are an ideal way for Educational Establishments to track every student’s process for Maths, Reading and Early Literacy along the learning pathway by using this fully adaptive and interactive computer program. Already used by 6,000 primary and secondary schools and one …
“A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it” – Roald Dahl When asked to consider the most popular and memorable British writers, our minds are flooded with visions of …
