It is clear that technology has played an integral role when it comes to supporting the shift to blended and online learning. Both teachers and pupils have spent a lot of time over lockdown with laptops and tablets at the kitchen table, so now is a great time for schools to think about how they can harness the power of technology to create a more efficient classroom…
The summer holidays provide the perfect opportunity for children to develop their interest and enthusiasm for reading. However, time away from the classroom can also cause children’s reading skills to slide before their return to school. But how do you keep children on track with their reading amidst all the distractions the holidays may bring?
For all teachers and educators involved in the teaching of early reading, the Department for Education’s new Reading Framework provides some great guidance when it comes to meeting expectations of teaching and provision. However, at 115 pages the policy document poses as quite an extensive bedtime read. In the following blog post, we have provided an easy to digest summary for all those interested to find out more.
Intuitively, parents and teachers understand that attention is important to learning. If you cannot pay attention in class or while reading a book, you are not going to learn much. However, attention is much more foundational than just ‘paying attention’. Attention skills impact self-control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, which are known collectively as executive function skills…
• Teachers
In their recent article with Open Access Government, Pamela Hanigan and Rachel Gelder, founders of Lancashire Dyslexia Information Guidance and Support (LDIGS), explain how teachers and SENDCOs can assess children’s post-lockdown reading development and give the best support to their learning back in the classroom.
• Parents, School Leaders, Teachers, Technology
To investigate the impact that COVID has had on children’s learning and literacy, The BBC One Show sent poet, writer, and musician Benjamin Zephaniah to a primary school in Farnham. Having experienced disruption to his own education, due to moving around a lot as a child, he was able to share his own personal experiences of struggling when it comes to reading…
• Parents, School Leaders, Teachers
This #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, it is important to recognise that we actually have a powerful wellbeing tool readily available within our classrooms and homes in the form of books! Books provide a world of opportunity for children to escape from their worries and learn to deal with complicated situations and emotions; in uncertain times they can also help children feel less alone.
The announcement of lockdown 3 has seen huge numbers of parents and carers once again challenged with the task of home-schooling their children. Many will feel anxious and have concerns about their child’s mental health, or the impact that the another lockdown and unpredictable periods of self-isolation will have on their progress. We have put together some of our favourite tips to help parents support children from home in these challenging times.
Christmas provides a perfect opportunity for children to develop their enthusiasm for reading. Our top tips can help families keep on track with reading over the holidays, spread the festive cheer and spend some quality time together with some fantastic stories!