Here are ten ways to link rules from the English National Curriculum or roots (from words in the statutory spelling lists) to topics you will be covering elsewhere: Etymological information provided is taken from http://www.etymonline.com and some of the morphological information from http://www.membean.com - both are excellent sources if you are interested in doing your own research … Continue reading 10 ways to sneak extra ‘word study’ into your curriculum →

Inference is hard, and we know that it involves children applying and drawing upon a variety of different skills, all which add to their comprehension of the text. In my school, we have found that spending time explicitly teaching children how to make links between what they are reading and their own experiences, helps them … Continue reading Teaching Links, Themes and Conventions at Primary →

Attached below are the first of the Teacher Guide documents that teachers at my school use to help them plan Reading units. We run with 4 x 45 minute sessions over a fortnight. The format is outlined here: The idea is that the skills are transferrable across KS2 and into KS3, with teachers selecting appropriate texts … Continue reading Teacher Guides: Skills-Based Reading Units →

On October 13th 2018, I had the opportunity to present at a conference which was specifically for 'new' presenters. Thanks to @HeyMissSmith, I was able to share the work I have done at my school, Hamble Primary in Hampshire, and also share my beliefs around the teaching of comprehension and why (in my opinion) some … Continue reading Teach skills and they will comprehend! →

Here's a couple of documents that group the Year 1 and 2 Common Exception Words by spelling to help children learn by repetition and 'committing to the hand' a certain letter string or commonality. This would be used alongside the NC appendix. YEAR 2 Common Exception Words Grouped for Spelling YEAR 1 Common Exception Words … Continue reading Common Exception Words →