Do you have a favourite part of grammar? Laura Dobson does– she loves adverbials, and has pulled together some fun and effective activities to help you teach them (page 30).
Something many children struggle with is drawing inferences from texts. On page 9, Rachel Clarke lays out how you can guide pupils to make connections within and between texts. She also explains the vital role TAs can play in ensuring everyone in the class hones their comprehension skills.
TAs figured large when I met up with the very charming George Webster, BAFTA-winning CBeebies presenter, to chat about his experience of attending mainstream school as a child with Down Syndrome (page 53). He – and his dad – had some great advice for anyone who wants to ensure that school is a positive and inclusive experience for pupils with additional needs.
On page 35, Jonny Walker has some thoughts on poetry teaching, Goldilocks and learning to ride a bike… It’s all about getting your lessons ‘just right’, so that children learn to love poetry as a pure form of expression, while still understanding the theory that underpins their writing.
There’s a somewhat legendary cyclist in our ‘10 books’ feature this issue, actually (page 12). Carey Fluker Hunt has chosen an outstanding selection of fiction and non-fiction titles for EYFS to UKS2 that feature differently abled characters. There’s a real variety of books, from whimsical tales to more challenging stories with lessons from daily life.
Other regular features that are back with a bang include two new model texts from Pie Corbett (page 42) and a WAGOLL from author Eve Wersocki Morris on page 20. Centring on an extract from her new book, Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed, Eve’s feature is accompanied by a downloadable resource pack from Lindsay Pickton and Christine Chen.
Wishing you a summer filled with all your favourite books!
Lydia Grove – Editor