Refresh your approach to teaching reading comprehension with these original guided and whole-class reading activities for the primary classroom. Running out of ways to get children engaged in reading comprehension? Or are you looking to help reluctant readers discover the magic of books? This book is for you! Reading Recharged includes a wide range of creative ideas, top tips and photocopiable activities for KS1 and KS2, and covers all seven reading skills from the National Curriculum (vocabulary, inference, summarising, predicting, commentating, author choice and retrieval). Designed to spark a love of reading for pleasure, the activities range from an intriguing lie detection task for teaching characterisation to synonym snakes and ladders for practising word choices. Whether you're teaching whole-class guided reading or using the carousel format, this book provides advice on structuring your session, as well as tried-and-tested ways to run it successfully. Experienced primary teacher and literacy resource creator Alex Barton shares his top teaching activities to engage and enthuse young readers so you can teach reading with creativity and confidence.

Ideal for both whole-school and independent learning, this comprehensive and high-quality series builds on pupils' phonic knowledge while also helping them to understand how word structure and meaning can help them to spell words. Providing excellent preparation for the national tests, the Schofield & Sims Spelling activities systematically introduce and revise spelling conventions, explore word structure and the relationship between words of shared origin, suggest strategies for remembering common 'exception words' (or 'tricky words'), teach pupils how to monitor their own spelling, and encourage them to write sentences from memory or dictation. As pupils work through each book, the intensive practice provided will enable them continually to develop, consolidate and improve their skills, encouraging them towards effective spelling for life. Spelling 4 covers: using further prefixes and suffixes; using rules for adding suffixes beginning with vowels; spelling a range of homophones; developing an understanding of word structure and word origin; learning guidelines for alternative spelling of phonemes; learning guidelines relating to the spelling of endings.

How to Write a Story is packed full of amazing activities to get your creative juices flowing! Have fun with wow words, awesome adventures and epic endings! From coming up with crazy character names, creating the perfect plot and acting out your characters, How to Write a Story will have you writing exciting page turning stories that your friends and family won't be able to put down! Full of useful tips and inspiring ideas, How to Write a Story is jam packed full of story starters, plot changers, useful words and much much more!

These engaging Storybooks provide structured practice for children learning to read the Read Write Inc. Set 1 sounds. Each set of books is carefully levelled to match childrens growing phonic knowledge so children can read them with accuracy, fluency and comprehension. The Storybooks include a range of engaging stories such as fairy tales, myths and legends, rhyming stories and familiar settings. Activities at the start of the books help children to practise the sounds and words they will encounter in the story. Questions to talk about at the end of the story provide an extra opportunity for developing childrens comprehension. The books are part of the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme, developed by Ruth Miskin. The programme is designed to create fluent readers, confident speakers and willing writers. It includes Handbooks, Sounds Cards, Word Cards, Storybooks, Non-fiction, Writing books and an Online resource. Read Write Inc. is fully supported by comprehensive professional development from Ruth Miskin Training.

Being literate in an academic discipline means more than simply being able to read and comprehend text; it means you can think, speak, and write as a historian, scientist, mathematician, or artist. Doug Buehl strips away the one-size-fits-all approach to content area literacy and presents a much-needed instructional model for disciplinary literacy, showing how to mentor middle and high school learners to become "academic insiders" who are college and career ready. This thoroughly revised second edition of Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines shows how to help students adjust their thinking to comprehend a range of complex texts that fall outside their reading comfort zones. This book -a natural companion to Buehl's Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, which has been bolstering student comprehension for almost three decades-provides the following supports for teachers: Instructional tools that adapt generic literacy practices to discipline-specific variations Strategies for frontloading instruction to activate and build background knowledge New approaches for encouraging inquiry around disciplinary texts In-depth exploration of the role of argumentation in informational text Numerous examples from science, mathematics, history and social studies, English/language arts, and related arts to show you what vibrant learning looks like in various classroom settings Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines introduces teachers from all disciplines to new kinds of thinking and, ultimately, teaching that helps students achieve new levels of understanding.

This bestselling resource has been fully updated, putting formative assessment at the heart of the Talk for Writing process and showing how to help children love writing across the curriculum. By helping children speak the language of non-fiction in a fun engaging way before they attempt to write, the Talk for Writing approach builds children's confidence and linguistic ability enabling them to craft their own writing. In the new edition, this practical resource offers: * Fully worked, tried and tested examples of how to apply Talk for Writing to each non-fiction text type * A wide range of fun activities helping children internalise how to express and link text effectively * A process that co-constructs learning so that children learn how to structure text and create toolkits of key ingredients * Guidance for teachers in England on how to apply the approach across the primary curriculum * An OLC including new footage of Pie Corbett demonstrating Talk for Writing and new footage of classes engaged in the approach * Advice on how to use the DVD and handouts to train all staff in the approach * Evidence of impact from cold to hot tasks Designed for busy teachers, Talk for Writing across the Curriculum, second edition, will help transform children's writing and attainment across the curriculum. "This book celebrates the importance of talk in becoming and growing as a writer: talk to share ideas; talk to analyse text; talk to co-construct writing; and to talk to evaluate writing. Throughout the book constantly underlines the importance of talk for learning and the many creative and rich ways talk can be used to help young writers internalise the rhythms and patterns of text. Full of practical ideas and activities, the teaching combines being creative and being critical in a wholly integrated way. An invaluable resource for primary school teachers!" Debra Myhill, Professor of Education at the University of Exeter, UK "The teaching of reading has always taken priority in policy and practice in literacy. Pie Corbett and Julia Strong have produced a very welcome counterweight to that dominance in their Talk for Writing Across the Curriculum. It is so refreshing to see suggestions for teaching to bring elements of language together, especially when done in such an entertaining and engaging way as this. This new edition makes a 'classic' even better." David Wray, Emeritus Professor, University of Warwick, UK "This latest update of Pie and Julia's best-selling book reflects changes in the curriculum, strengthening the T4W approach, using cold and hot tasks, showing new worked examples of how to apply T4W to each non-fiction type and placing formative assessment at the heart of the process. It is exciting to see how all the best ideas and findings in education are converging, evidenced in this latest 'up to the minute' excellent publication." Shirley Clarke, Formative Assessment Expert

A bright and colourful Reading Activity Book brimming with charming characters, engaging activities and crystal-clear explanations. Perfect for learning at home or in class, it's loaded with useful Reading practice for ages 4-5 (Reception). Each topic is explained in easy-to-understand language, followed by fun-packed activities and challenges designed to boost your child's confidence and make sure all that knowledge really sticks! We've also thrown in exciting puzzles so your child can apply their Reading skills in a different context. Self-assessment boxes at the end of each topic can be used to keep track of their progress.

'An absolute must-have for any Year 3 teacher.' Louise Rayner, English Specialist Leader of Education An exciting reading comprehension resource from Andrew Jennings (@VocabularyNinja), the creator of the hugely popular Write Like a Ninja, Vocabulary Ninja and Comprehension Ninja: Non-Fiction series. This photocopiable resource contains 24 immersive and imaginative fiction and poetry texts from acclaimed writers including Roald Dahl, Kevin Crossley-Holland, Patrice Lawrence and Pamela Butchart, as well as original texts by Adam Bushnell and Andrew Jennings aligned to the National Curriculum. Each is accompanied by differentiated activities and answers to boost retrieval skills and help pupils become fully fledged Comprehension Ninjas! Ideal for KS2 SATs practice, the reading texts are high-quality and rich in vocabulary. They cover a range of genres including historical fiction, sci-fi, contemporary stories, adventure, traditional tales and poetry. If you're searching for engaging resources to help pupils practise comprehension strategies and question types such as skim and scan, true or false, draw and label, find and copy, fill in the gap, sequencing and multiple choice, Comprehension Ninja for Ages 7-8: Fiction & Poetry is the book for you. For more must-have Ninja books, check out the Vocabulary Ninja and Comprehension Ninja classroom and home learning resources.

Ideal for learning at home, Vocabulary Ninja Workbook for Ages 9-10 encourages children to supercharge their skills and become Grand Masters of vocabulary! Created by Andrew Jennings (@VocabularyNinja), the bestselling author of Write Like a Ninja, this fun activity book is perfect for targeted practice at home, building children's confidence and further developing those all-important literacy skills taught in the classroom. With clear activities and lots of colourful illustrations, it can be used as a fun way to get to grips with reading, writing and spelling. Key features of the Vocabulary Ninja Workbook for Ages 9-10: - Features a variety of fun activities with full-colour illustrations including code-breaking games, creative writing and fill in the gap - Helps children practise different vocabulary areas linked to the Key Stage 2 (KS2) curriculum, such as descriptive words, subject-specific terms and synonyms for overused words - Boosts children's confidence and develops essential vocabulary knowledge - Includes advice for parents on home learning, answers to the questions, and a downloadable certificate

How to Write Poems is packed with exciting activities to get your pen flowing! Make poems out of leaves, carve out a mud poem, go on an outdoors simile hunt, and play poetry games in the playground. Whether you already write poems, you've never written before, or you're not even sure what a poem is - this is the book for you. Full of useful tips and starting points, How to Write Poems will make you chuckle, make you think, and inspire you to write your own poetry. Join the Children's Laureate, Joseph Coelho, as he explores a mind-boggling selection of poetry: from laughable limericks to poetic puns, and from ridiculous rhymes to silly sibilance. Pick up this book, grab a pen, and get going!

Pinpoint is a series of activities and resources created to provide you with highly focused resources for specific needs in English. 144 page photocopiable book, A4 size Questions and mark scheme based on style of Reading SATs Mixture of fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts 20 units containing a text extract and differentiated practice at 3 levels to provide challenge for all Focus on higher order skills and a wide range of comprehension strategies Saves teachers time searching for engaging texts with carefully levelled practice Promotes stamina with the inclusion of longer extracts This book provides confidence-building, independent activities for Year 4 / P5 that help children to master a wide range of comprehension strategies. The resources are photocopiable to allow repeated use year-on-year. The book comprises 20 curriculum-matched units that follow the principles of scaffolded practice by reducing the support as children grow in confidence. SATs style questions are mapped to the KS2 content domains. The Pinpoint characters provide friendly hints and tips. Contains a good mix of contemporary and classic fiction, stimulating non-fiction and engaging poetry. The comprehensive mark scheme provides answers and commonly made mistakes.

Historical fiction has surged in popularity in recent years, with new subgenres emerging (e.g. Viking romance, religious thrillers) and reader interest showing no signs of slowing down. This follow-up to Johnson's critically acclaimed guide published in 2005 covers new territory by focusing on English-language historical novels for adults published between mid-2004 and mid-2008, in particular those commonly found in American public library collections. The author's unique approach involves classifying titles by subgenres, rather than strictly by geography and chronology; thereby grouping read-alikes together. It gives users a deeper understanding of the genre, an update on new titles, and an easy way to identify read-alikes and book club selections for library patrons. More than 2700 historical fiction titles, about 2,000 new to this volume, are organized and described.

The Blount Guide A logical phonetic manual for: 1. - Parents and teachers of reading to small children. 2. - Foreigners who wish to pronounce English correctly with instructions in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Japanese and German. 3. - Spelling teachers. 4. - Writers of books for children who need to know which words are appropriate for which level reading. 5. - Teachers of children with learning disabilities. 6. - Computer programmers who wish to program their computers to teach reading and spelling.

Time is running out for the villagers of Simbi - they need to find a new source of water, and fast! One day, Ramata hears an old woman singing and realises that the lyrics have a hidden meaning. Ramata bravely sets off into the desert with her grandmother, her cousin and the very last bottle of water in the village. Will they be able to solve the riddle of the song and find water in time? Part of the Bug Club reading series used in over 3500 schools Helps your child develop reading fluency and confidence Suitable for children age 8-9 (Year 4)

With the signature wit and humor that have garnered him legions of fans, award-winning author Jack Gantos instructs young writers on using their "writing radar" to find story ideas in their own lives. Charting his own misadventures as an adolescent writer, Gantos inspires readers to build confidence and establish good writing habits as they create, revise, and perfect their stories. Pop-out text boxes highlight key tips, alongside dozens of Gantos's own hilarious illustrations and original stories. More than just a how-to guide, Writing Radar is a celebration of the power of storytelling and an ode to the characters who - many unwittingly - inspired Gantos's own writing career.

A collection of 10 full-colour activity books that will make English language learning fun as children acquire grammar systematically through stories. The Wonderful World of Words (WOW) teaches children about the different word classes as the first step to building a good foundation in grammar. Each of these word classes in the WOW Kingdom is represented by a royal character so children learn how the different classes of words are used and how they interact with other words. Linked to the story set in the WOW kingdom is another story about the animals in the forest of WOW, to reinforce the concepts covered in each volume. Volume 1 - King Norman Nautilus Noun Focus: Nouns are words that name, people, animal, things and places.

As the Forest School movement gains popularity among UK educators, teachers are increasingly recognising the benefits of creative outdoor play. But how can busy primary school teachers fit regular, high quality outdoor learning into an already crowded timetable? How can they plan a range of rich, imaginative and creative experiences that build up into full topics? And how can they translate the excitement and engagement that they find out doors into increased enthusiasm and attainment indoors?

Learning on Your Doorstep integrates creative outdoor play with curricular attainment, while increasing the challenge, enjoyment and professional development of the teachers using it. The book presents a series of topics which channel the children s outdoor experience into writing outcomes to reflect the current Primary Framework for Literacy. Using child-led, kinaesthetic teaching and learning techniques, each topic helps teacher and class build an imaginary world to explore and includes:

• Session plan tables to enable teachers to easily access relevant information;
• collaborative activities, games and drama to stimulate discussion;
• photo-copiable items such as letters, imaginary maps and animal fact jigsaws;
• optional classroom follow-up activities and a final writing task;
• tips on how to prepare and resource each session.

Guidance on adapting for different abilities and ages is also given, along with curriculum links and pedagogical rationale, to let primary teachers put creative outdoor play at the centre of the primary teaching timetable.

The ideas in this book are suitable for implementation in any school environment, using resources commonly found in the stock cupboard or home. All you will need to add is some preparation and imagination

These engaging Storybooks provide structured practice for children learning to read the Read Write Inc. Set 1 sounds. Each set of books is carefully levelled to match childrens growing phonic knowledge so children can read them with accuracy, fluency and comprehension. The Storybooks include a range of engaging stories such as fairy tales, myths and legends, rhyming stories and familiar settings. Activities at the start of the books help children to practise the sounds and words they will encounter in the story. Questions to talk about at the end of the story provide an extra opportunity for developing childrens comprehension. The books are part of the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme, developed by Ruth Miskin. The programme is designed to create fluent readers, confident speakers and willing writers. It includes Handbooks, Sounds Cards, Word Cards, Storybooks, Non-fiction, Writing books and an Online resource. Read Write Inc. is fully supported by comprehensive professional development from Ruth Miskin Training.

Despite the efforts of teachers and educators, every year secondary schools across the English-speaking world turn out millions of functionally illiterate leavers. The costs in human misery and in wasted productivity are catastrophic. What can schools do to prevent this situation? In this highly accessible book James and Dianne Murphy combine more than 50 years of experience to provide teachers with a thorough, easy to use introduction to the extensive research on reading and its effects on student achievement. Drawing on the work of experts from around the world, the authors explore how we learn to read, how the many myths and misconceptions around reading developed, and why they continue to persist.Building on these foundations chapters go on to examine how the general secondary school classroom can support all levels of reading more effectively, regardless of subject; how school leaders can ensure that their systems, practices and school culture deliver the very best literacy provision for all students; and what it takes to ensure that a racing intervention aimed at adolescent struggling readers is truly effective. The overall message of this books is one of great optimism: the authors demonstrate that the right of every child to learn to read is entirely achievable if schools employ the best research-driven practice.