The examiner reports from OCR have now been published, highlighting some of the features of the best answers from the summer exams of 2019. There were several key characteristics that helped essays to score higher marks; the examiners’ reports should help current students to see where they can improve as they develop their own writing. […]
Read moreGraham Elsdon looks at ways literature students can usefully write about drama By the play’s final scene, Macbeth sees life as ‘a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage’. There is a meta theatrical quality to many of Shakespeare’s works, yet some students find it hard to write about plays as […]
Read moreRebecca Geoghegan shares her approaches to supporting low-ability writers. Being asked to ‘write’ can be daunting for even the most confident and accurate of writers: at times we all struggle to think of something interesting and memorable to write. However, if your struggle is coupled with low literacy levels, then you are very likely to […]
Read moreTwo words you never thought you would see in the same sentence: Grammar and Fun. But yet it is possible! Not only does it make it more engaging for the students, but it also helps to make it memorable. So where do we begin… 1) Start by doing your homework. What do they need to […]
Read moreWith Halloween coming up, we thought we would treat you to a spooky snippet from the fabulous How to Write Your Best Story Ever! by Christopher Edge, to help you create your own terrifying tales… How to write your best SCARY story! What scares you? A haunted house with creaking stairs? A ghostly apparition flitting through the forest? A vampire rising from […]
Read moreIf you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. (N.Mandela) Our children’s world revolves around using huge amounts of highly advanced accessible technology. Surrounded by computers and social media, children “chat” more than ever, but spend less […]
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Good reading comprehension is a critical skill, fundamental to learning across the curriculum, to reading for pleasure and for success in life. Helping children to develop this skill can feel like a challenging process. However, a strong body of research evidence, including a recently published report from the Education Endowment Foundation , reveals three identifiable aspects that underpin […]
Read moreWriting, whilst second nature to most of us, is a difficult skill for children to master. The key to helping them develop that magical potential from an early age is to make writing exciting and to make it matter. Once that bridge is crossed, there’s no turning back and you’d better buy some extra pencils! […]
Read moreThe first few weeks of a new school year usually involves both looking forward and looking back. The summer of 2016 saw an almost completely new set of national assessment and accountability arrangements and schools are analysing how they’ve done and pondering the implications for the years ahead. We don’t have all the results yet […]
Read moreChildren are expected to learn to write from a young age and there are many activities we can do that will not only prepare them to write but will also make handwriting fun. From the beginning children should be involved in a range of pre-writing activities which will help them to develop their fine muscle […]
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