The activities in How to Dazzle at Writing concentrate on composing skills. They help 11-14 year old (Key Stage 3/KS3) pupils with special educational needs to write in different genres, from letters and reports to song lyrics, stories and poetry. The 42 reproducible sheets use simple language, lively illustrations and adolescent-friendly activities to encourage pupils to develop their writing skills. Each activity includes stimulus material to set the scene and where necessary provides an example of the genre. The activities include planning and writing stories; making notes; devising characters; explaining the meaning of words to people who don't know them; making lists; writing letters; writing reviews of videos, films and books; writing poems and writing the lyrics for a song.

The Level 3 Biff, Chip and Kipper Stories, written by Roderick Hunt and illustrated by Alex Brychta, provide a rich story context to help develop language comprehension and decoding skills. Stories, More Stories A and More Stories B build on the reading skills from Level 2 and are slightly longer. First Sentences include a range of high frequency vocabulary with repetitive text to continue to build fluency. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with childrens reading development is also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk.

How do students become successful writers and excited about writing? Blogging or other online writing in your classroom can build literacies in all content areas by giving students the frequent writing practice that is missing in classrooms today. Students have to write to get better at writing. They need to write to an authentic audience- real people who are interested in what they have to say and are willing to comment back and engage in further conversation. Simply put, they need practice time in interactive writing. How might teachers do this? This book is the answer to this question. The book investigates blogs as digital spaces where students can practice writing and converse with an authentic audience. It focuses on idea development and gives students voice. Today's students already occupy or will inhabit new online spaces in the future. Schools and teachers must move forward with the students and embrace this world across the curriculum in purposeful and creative ways. This will transform schools and teacher classrooms!

This book discusses reading comprehension and associated learning difficulties. It seeks to outline and elaborate on what constitutes reading comprehension and also the types of learning difficulties that impact on reading comprehension outcomes. In doing so, it seeks to address and inform the reader about issues found in the literature on reading. It discusses the need for a consistent and integrated approach to reading comprehension.

The book details the complex nature of reading comprehension difficulties and the problems related to articulating clear definitions of various learning difficulties and the associated problems with assessment and diagnosis. It introduces a model for classifying reading comprehension based on the "Simple View of Reading." The book also focuses on recent conceptualisations of working memory and its function in regard to the complex task of reading and comprehension. It gives an explanation as to why reading comprehension is difficult for some children with a number of reading disabilities such as ADHD, autism, and language difficulties and dyslexia.

The book then discusses and develops an understanding of comprehension at the word and discourse levels. It details some evidence-based reading comprehension methods that have been identified as being effective for children with learning difficulties.

This superb Skills Exam Practice Workbook is packed with essential Fiction Reading practice for GCSE AQA English. It includes engaging extracts from the 20th and 21st Century with plenty of practice at approaching unfamiliar texts, analysing structure and language and extracting key information. There are also realistic exam-style questions and an entire practice paper for Paper 2, Section A - plus answers for every question at the back. For even more AQA GCSE English Language Reading practice, don't miss our fantastic Non-Fiction Exam Practice Workbook (9781789080063).

This new edition of Nelson English provides an integrated approach to teaching the core literacy skills at primary level; comprehension, writing, grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary. Each unit focuses on a different text from a wide range of genres, including both fiction and non-fiction. The programme provides embedded assessment support and regular opportunities to practise and consolidate learning.

How to Sparkle at Writing Stories and Poems contains over 40 photocopiable sheets for use with beginning writers. The activities will stimulate pupils' imagination and creative thinking and give them opportunities to organise and present their ideas in different ways. The sheets provide a variety of stimuli and innovative ideas which the teacher can build upon and extend. Brilliant Publications publishes a range of books for 0-15 year olds. Details of our titles can be found on our website www.brilliantpublications.co.uk

The Level 7 Biff, Chip and Kipper Stories, written by Roderick Hunt and illustrated by Alex Brychta, provide a rich story context to help develop language comprehension and decoding skills. Stories, More Stories A and More Stories B involve familiar situations and a variety of fantasy settings through the magic key adventures. Longer stories help to build reading stamina, which is important for later reading success. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with childrens reading development is also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk.

Reinforce your child's fourth-grade language skills with Spectrum Vocabulary. With the progressive lessons in this workbook, your child will learn words through strategies related to word relationships, context clues, and prefixes and suffixes. Spectrum(R) Vocabulary helps your child systematically build and strengthen vocabulary and comprehension skills. Students in grades 3-6 will find lessons and practice in word classification, context clues, root and base words, prefixes and suffixes, and imported words. Each workbook also includes test-taking practice sections and an answer key. Aligned to current state standards, Spectrum is your child's path to a strong and expanding vocabulary. Spectrum, the best-selling workbook series, is proud to provide quality educational materials that support your students' learning achievement and success.

Most children learn to read, irrespective of the method of instruction. Yet up to a fifth of children struggle with reading in their first few years at school. Unfortunately, those who struggle in the early years will continue to struggle throughout their school career. Yola Center offers a systematic, research-based guide to teaching reading in the first three years of school. Her aim is to ensure that teachers can work with at-risk or reluctant readers in the regular classroom as effectively as with children for whom reading seems to come naturally. Taking an analytic approach to reading, Beginning Reading shows how children can be moved through the key stages of early reading acquisition. Each chapter includes an overview of relevant research, practical classroom strategies and guidelines for lesson planning. Center adopts a balanced view of reading instruction, stressing the importance of phonological processes at the beginning of literacy instruction, as well as semantic and syntactic ones. This supports at risk children in regular classrooms, who are provided with the maximum opportunity to develop the accurate and fluent word recognition skills that are needed in order to extract meaning from print.

"This book is a must have for mums who have no clue how to help their child with comprehension. I would recommend to everyone." Sue, Amazon customer As well as being an integral part of the English curriculum, good comprehension skills help children to understand the world around them. Our simple workbooks help to break down the skills children need to master to meet their curriculum objectives in a clear and fuss-free way. This workbook supports children in Year 4 (ages 8-9) to develop their comprehension skills using a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts as well as fun activities. Practice activities to use at home or in school Matched to National Curriculum requirements Quickly builds confidence and understanding Includes extra notes and tips to reinforce skillsAll answers available online Matched to the Scholastic English Skills: Comprehension teacher resource book Perfect for use in class or at home

A guided approach to using college writing for everyone's learning Faculty in every discipline are increasingly pressured to include major writing components as part of their courses. Unfortunately, as author and English professor Gary R. Hafer explains, college and university educators often have little training in the use of writing in the classroom. Embracing Writing elucidates the principles of academic writing and shows instructors how to integrate writing with course content, blending them to enhance and deepen the higher education learning process. Scholarly writing is a central part of the academic experience and, when used effectively, can be an outstanding pedagogical tool. The creative approach in Embracing Writing will have you looking at writing in a whole new way. Not only will your students appreciate the honest, nurturing, and fun writing assignments, but your own writing will improve as well. This is not a rulebook for writers, but a guided approach to viewing writing and content as one indivisible whole. Embracing Writing will help you: * Engage students in writing assignments that actually help them develop their writing ability * Understand what makes good collegiate writing and how it can aid in content discovery * Discover new pathways for your own writing so writing for publication and the classroom is enjoyable again * Develop a writing pedagogy that doesn't detract from core course content delivery There often is a disconnect between administrative demands for in-course writing and the inadequate training resources available to faculty members. Because most of us aren't trained as writers, we need a meaningful way to connect writing to our areas of expertise. Embracing Writing provides that connection.

Treasure House Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation Skills Pupil Books are aimed at ages 5-11, offering complete coverage of the demanding 2014 National Curriculum, and ideal practice of the skills in the Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling test. Treasure House Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation Skills Pupil Book 4: * has 24 units * is matched directly to the 2014 National Curriculum * explains each concept clearly and simply, followed by a set of carefully tailored questions * ensures pupils will master all appropriate language skills * provides regular progress checks with 3 review units. This pupil book can be used with Treasure House Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation Skills Teacher's Guide 4 and activities on Collins Connect for a complete programme to enhance children's vocabularies and use of grammar and punctuation.

Accessible and engaging, this methods textbook provides a roadmap for improving reading instruction. Leland, Lewison, and Harste explain why certain ineffective or debunked literacy techniques prevail in the classroom, identify the problematic assumptions that underly these popular myths, and offer better alternatives for literacy teaching. Grounded in a mantra that promotes critical thinking and agency-Enjoy! Dig Deeply! Take Action!-this book presents a clear framework, methods, and easy applications for designing and implementing effective literacy instruction. Numerous teaching strategies, classroom examples, teacher vignettes, and recommendations for using children's and adolescent literature found in this book make it an ideal text for preservice teachers in elementary and middle school reading, and English language arts methods courses as well as a practical resource for professional in-service workshops and teachers. Key features include: Instructional engagements for supporting students as they read picture books, chapter books, and news articles, and interact with social media and participate in the arts and everyday life; Voices from the field that challenge mythical thinking and offer realworld examples of what effective reading and language arts instruction looks like in practice; Owl statements that alert readers to key ideas for use when planning reading and language arts instruction.

Nearly forty percent of all fourth graders in this country cannot read at grade level, and this number rises to sixty percent for children coming from poor families. This gap in learning increases as students go through grade school and is a primary reason for school failure. Ironically, this problem comes even after comprehensive research demonstrates that nearly all children can learn to read if taught using proven-effective instruction. Here, the authors describe the principles of this research in language that non-educators can understand and educators can use. It discusses how to recognize whether the research on reading is being used appropriately, and if not, how to make that happen. Through the eyes of parents and educators who have succeeded in their own struggles to change the educational system, the book provides the reader with the tools and knowledge for transforming the way reading is taught in their children's classrooms. This book takes the reader step-by-step through an understanding of the research on reading and ways in which a single, determined person can make a difference in the learning ability of every student in our nation's schools. Part One is a series of chapters written by individuals who discuss what they experienced during these battles and what made them successful. Part Two is written by a series of experts who describe how they have overcome the challenges involved in creating widespread change in school systems. This second edition also includes information on Common Core State Standards, increased testing and accountability efforts, and related policy issues that directly impact how children learn to read. The appendix is filled with resources-people, places, sample tools, a glossary and bibliography to help the reader. Some key features of this book include: *Easy to understand descriptions of research *First-person stories of how they have helped teach their kids to read *Clear understanding of scientifically based reading and how it can be applied to the classroom *Summary of reading-related Common Core State Standards *Sample tools for parent advocates *Resource lists of government officials, organizations that can help with reading efforts

In recent decades, the science of reading acquisition has been advancing through interdisciplinary research in cognitive, psycholinguistic, developmental, genetic, neuroscience, cross-language, and experimental comparison studies of effective instruction. Some of the science of reading has emerged from the theory and research into the realm of practice and policy. Yet the science and practice of measuring "reading comprehension" has remained relatively immune to much of this foundational knowledge. Measuring Up questions the traditional format of reading comprehension tests, typically a single series of questions asked about a series of passages, and offers ideas and innovations we might expect in a next generation of 21st century reading assessments. Sabatini, Albro, and O'Reilly believe that in light of the move towards Common Core State Standards and assessments, as well as significant national investments in reading and literacy education, it is a critical and opportune time to bring together the research and measurement community to address fundamental issues of measuring reading comprehension, both in theory and in practice.

These engaging Storybooks provide structured practice for children learning to read the Read Write Inc. Set 1 and 2 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.

The activities in How to be Brilliant at Writing Poetry are open-ended and focus on the process of writing - from initial idea gathering to redrafting and the final product. They recognize that a sense of audience and a purpose for writing are crucial. The 40 photocopiable worksheets aimed at 7-11 year olds (KS2) pupils provide models for different forms of poetry. Activities include: finding a beginning, using words to paint a picture, making up similes and rhyming.

CGP's Writing Targeted Question for Year 5 is the perfect writing practice! It's packed with engaging activities and extracts covering fiction and non-fiction genres. What's more, it all supports the 'composition' elements of the National Curriculum. Answers and hints are included, alongside a range of free online texts with annotations (downloadable from the CGP website) to use for inspiration.

Timely and accessible, this book offers tangible strategies that will help teachers plan and sustain writing workshop experiences that are responsive to the needs of their specific students. Angela Stockman helps teachers understand why some writers may fail to meet their expectations and how to help all writers reach their fullest potential. Organized in three parts, this book reframes common narratives about resistant writers, empowers teachers to design, lead and refine their workshop, and provides a toolkit to do so. The appendices and eResources included provide teachers with instructions for mini-lessons and learning targets that support multimodal composition, perfect for pre-service and in-service teachers.

Timely and accessible, this book offers tangible strategies that will help teachers plan and sustain writing workshop experiences that are responsive to the needs of their specific students. Angela Stockman helps teachers understand why some writers may fail to meet their expectations and how to help all writers reach their fullest potential. Organized in three parts, this book reframes common narratives about resistant writers, empowers teachers to design, lead and refine their workshop, and provides a toolkit to do so. The appendices and eResources included provide teachers with instructions for mini-lessons and learning targets that support multimodal composition, perfect for pre-service and in-service teachers.

With its reusable wipe-clean surface and dri-erase pen, Writing Skills helps children learn how put together a sentence, paragraph, and story and provides tons of activities to practice their new-found skills. The packed pages feature punctuation; sentence structure; types for words such as describing and question; parts of a story; and sample entries. The book will introduce three types of writing-narrative, opinion, and informative-and provide graphic organizers to simplify the process. As a bonus, the perforated pages allow children to assemble an "all about me" book when they are finished. Perfect for first through third graders, this 128-page workbook, with its useful wipe-off reference chart of proper formation, is ideal on-the-go package for fighting summer brain drain.

Writing Instruction for Generation 2.0 addresses many of the concerns teachers have about the impact of the digital world on student writing and suggests ways for teachers to approach these issues within a 21st century literacies framework. This book is not about teaching the writing process, running a writing workshop, or using specific digital tools to support writing instruction. Forward-thinking teachers who wish to understand the 21st century literacies, understand what youth are doing in respect to those literacies, and discover how they can apply this knowledge to classroom instruction will find answers to their questions. The chapters include specific suggestions, but those suggestions are meant as a jumping-off point for imaginative and innovative teachers to adapt to meet the specific needs of students in their classrooms.