Where do words come from? It is not often that I would be able to admit having sat down to read a dictionary. After all I much prefer stories. Yet words have stories and a history of their own, which can be every bit as fascinating and  this dictionary certainly drew me and my young pupils in for a further look.

This dictionary of word origins offers  a chance to ...

Aimed at Key Stage 3 pupils, this book shows them exactly what they need to do to reach Level 4. It has been written by a team of experienced teachers and consultants and the series has been trailed extensively in the classroom. Aiming for level 4 writing is part of a series from level 3-6 and covers all the Assessment Focuses for English. It can be used for one-off lessons or intensive progra ...

This teacher resource encourages children to work co-operatively together whilst making connections with texts.

Connectors aims to promote small group peer learning and extend comprehension skills, through reciprocal reading and using non-fiction books. The teacher book identifies ways to encourage children to work productively together in small groups using a wide variety of n ...

Designed to accompany the book [i]Ma’at’s Feather[i] by Juliet Desailly, these materials provide creative, cross-curricular lesson ideas based on the story. Many would fit comfortably into the literacy hour, whilst others support teaching and learning in the foundation subjects. Desailly’s first novel is an accessible, yet emotive and thought-provoking tale of family life and ...

Set in Ireland in the 1980s, bog child is a gripping and moving novel that explores the sacrifices made in the name of peace and the unflinching strength of the human character. While out with his Uncle Tally digging for peat in the mountain, Fergus finds the body of a child. It appears that the child, a girl, has been murdered. The events leading to death of the bog child are explored and expe ...

[mosimage} As Robert Frost once said, "Poetry without rules is like a tennis match without a net." In this splendid and playful volume, acclaimed poetry anthologist Paul Janeczko and Caldecott Honor illustrator Chris Raschka present lively examples of twenty-nine poetic forms, illuminating not only the (sometimes bendable) rules of poetry, but also the spirit that brings thes ...

The Read and Respond series provides teachers and support assistants everything needed to share best-loved children’s books. They can be used with the class or in small groups. Each book contains speaking and listening activities, photocopiable texts for shared reading, guided reading notes, extended writing projects, photocopiable plot, character and setting activities, differentiation ...

Storyteller provides a wealth of activities supporting oral story telling, reading and writing stories. The teacher's notes by best-selling author Pie Corbett outlines ideas for drama, writing, art, dance, music research and discussion for each story from the anthology Dragonory and other stories for 7-9 year olds. This teacher resource is complimented by a children's anthology, Dr ...