Super Readable Reads

Super Readable Reads

When working with secondary schools to set up book clubs (see Book Clubs in Schools), a recurring theme is the number of children who come into Year 7 with reading levels significantly below those expected for their age.  This may because they have dyslexia or other...
The Importance of Children’s Choice

The Importance of Children’s Choice

Ever been exasperated by a child taking forever to choose a book and spurning all your well meant suggestions?  You may be interested in Interesting Choice, a report in the National Literacy Trust archives, which looks at how giving children choice about what they...
Surviving the Reading Scheme Years

Surviving the Reading Scheme Years

Go anywhere near the primary education talk boards on forums such as Mumsnet and the levels of anxiety about levelled reading scheme books is hard to avoid.  Inevitably any conversation thread includes DDs or DSs who are already on gold star plus level even though...
Why Book Talk?

Why Book Talk?

The name Book Talk borrows from Aidan Chambers book Tell Me: Children, Reading and Talk with The Reading Environment (2011) where he identifies ‘booktalk’ as an essential part of children’s development as readers.  This really resonated with me as however much I might...