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The title of this blog post is a little tenuous, but let’s just go with it shall we?
As I am sure you know, the pyramids are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Well, I have stumbled across the modern day equivalent.
It’s called ‘The Pyramid Resource Centre’ and it’s great. I did say it was tenuous and I shan’t apologise for my terrible sense of humour. The premise is simple; businesses produce a lot of recyclable waste. Rather than recycling these materials, they are dropped off at the centre, where people can come along and take whatever they want. The materials change frequently, but can include items such as bubble wrap and cardboard tubing.
There’s a minimal annual fee, which varies depending on your status (charity, school etc) but otherwise the service is free of charge. I think it’s brilliant because it’s good for the environment and it cuts down costs for small businesses, schools and the like, who run arts and crafts sessions.
I highly recommend a visit to the website where you can find out about the resource centre and the toy library which is also on site.

Friday was the last day of term for me – sorry, have I mentioned that already?! At the end of the year primary school teachers usually buy a little something for their class. It’s not easy to decide what to get and often ends up being sugar-related if I’m honest. But this year my fab teaching partner and I had a brainwave. I’ll give you some background before I tell you what it was. When I first went into the class, I was quite concerned about what we could achieve by the end of the academic year. They are (were) a year 1 class, majority EAL (English additional language) and a couple of SEN thrown into the mix. Many of the class could write their name and short captions, but that was about it. To say that they have come on this year would be a massive understatement and, more importantly, a great injustice to them.

The children have been reading and writing a LOT this year and so have we. In fact, we did a rough calculation and discovered that between them, the children have read approximately 2160 books and we have shared 360 books with the class. That’s at least 2520 books, not including library books, stories during assembly and whatever their parents may read with them at home. No wonder they have become such avid readers. They really do love reading and being read to. So, we decided that their end of year present would be a book. Not just any book though; we took away their re-telling of ‘The Sun and the Wind’, typed up each child’s version and had it published by a local printer. Words can not describe how completely excited they were when we gave them out. They looked so proud, instantly beginning to read each other’s stories with a look of sheer joy on each and every face.

Every single child immediately told their parents about their book as soon as they were collected after school that afternoon. For me, that was the best part of the whole year! I can leave my whiteboard behind for the summer safe in the knowledge that we guided those children to success.

The following links can help you get your child’s story/book published:

http://www.tikatok.com/

http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/catalogue.aspx?id=5161

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/children-picture-book-project-1022.html

or simply contact your local printers, who I am sure will be more than happy to be of service.

On my way into work this morning (last day of term, whoop, whoop), I was crawling along behind a black cab. Nothing exciting there I know. In the back window was this really cool logo, with the tag line ‘Say Hailo to a cab’

It made me smile; it’s no secret that I am easily pleased.

So then my fuzzy brain started thinking about wordplay generally and how we can employ it to engage children and adults (yes, you too) in language.

I don’t know about you, but I love a bit of wordplay. At the moment Master Frog is into joke books in a big way. Lucky me! In our little froglet’s case almost any book will do, but the joke book is a great way of encouraging boys to read. The downside is of course, that you then get bombarded with some pretty terrible material.

However, I am a silver lining kind of chicken, so can cope with the, at times, barrage of ‘comedy’ because a) he’s reading, b) it’s cute really and c) he is becoming increasingly aware of wordplay and how language works. Pretty great eh?

I’ve had a bit of a trawl through the www and found this hidden gem just for you:

http://www.fun-with-words.com/ This site contains links to over 500 pages of word puzzles, games, amazing lists, and fun facts. It’s got some great ideas and although they are on-line games, many can be easily adapted for car journeys or rainy days.

I shall end with the world famous Chicken and Frog joke.

A chicken walks into a bookshop and says ‘Book, book, book, book.’ Her froggy friend replies ‘Read it, read it, read it.’

I thank-you. Please pay at the door. Only one show a night!

Shall I tell you what my favourite time of the day is? When I’m at work, it’s ‘Read Aloud’ and when I’m at home it’s the early morning snuggle on the sofa when I share stories and poems with our youngest radish. You just can’t beat it. There’s an excitement coupled with a true sense of intimacy that can’t be replicated in other situation.

Now obviously I would advocate story time, but I thought I’d share some facts which justify my passion for sharing books with children:

1. It’s a bonding experience between adult and child. The story can be read from a book or part of a rich oral tradition from your family. It gives you protected time to talk and explore ideas.

2. Daily routines are so important, especially for young children. By building in a bedtime or early morning story session, you are helping to shape the child’s day. It’s a break from the rush rush rush of ‘real’ life.

3. It prepares children for reading, because they become so familiar with books that they are nothing to be worried about. They learn how to interact with the pages, how to ask questions and start to form opinions. A young child will soon tell you if they want to hear the story again (and again, and again…) or if they want to move onto soemthing new.

4. Reading with children builds up their vocabulary and in turn, their ability to communicate with others. You can’t deny that a well read child (that includes being read to, not just reading by themselves) often has more to say than a child who has no experience of books.

5. It opens up a child’s world to experiences which they may not have access to in reality. We discover so much of others and ourselves when we dip into a book, it’s a perfact catalyst for learning.

So there you have it; I could go on, but it’s been a very long day and I don’t want to fall asleep on the keyboard!

With the end of term now truly in sight, school plays are pencilled into parent’s calendars up and down the country. Whether it be a Shakespearean epic or a home-penned pantomime, there is no denying the power of the school play. For the majority of parents (and grandparents), the school play is a time to smile with pride at our offspring as they perform in front of us. I have seen many a school play in my time, as both parent and teacher, and I think it’s fair to say that some have cetainly been better than others. But I love the fact that no matter what the quality of the production itself, the children are congratulated for their efforts and praised for having a go. After all, it’s not easy to get up in front of an audience. There are plenty of adults who shy away from public speaking, and yet we expect our children to sing, dance and act their hearts out.

I remember finding the whole experience rather harrowing as an awkward skinny kid with national health glasses. Having said that, I am glad that I was given the opportunity to take part. I do have a rather vivid memory of my mum telling one of my primary school teachers that angels could wear glasses  (not in a hushed tone as I recall). Needless to say I was an angel that year, although I’m not sure how angelic I actually looked. The point is that all children should be part of this oral tradition of storytelling, even if they have two left feet, can’t hold a tune in a bucket or, in my case, have rather naff pink national health glasses!

Tonight myself and Mr Frog watched with pride as H gave it her all, taking on the role of the Queen in her Year 6 production. It was fantastic. Not because the script was outstanding, or the props realistic. There were no pyrotechnics going off or astounding special effects, but it was a play performed by a group of eager children who had a story to share. Three cheers for the tradition of the school play.

Sometimes I think I have the best job in the world. Today I had the privilege of taking twelve children to London’s Lyric Theatre to watch a production of Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea.
The book is a favourite of mine, with its bold illustrations and magical storyline. I have read it countless times, to my own children as well as children I have taught over the years. And in all those readings not one child has questioned the idea of a tiger turning up unannounced or the fact that it would be impossible to drink all of the water from the tap. There are, in my opinion, two reasons for this. Firstly, Judith Kerr is a very talented story teller and secondly, children are happy to suspend their disbelief if they feel a connection with the characters or plot.
The beauty of this narrative is that the key characters are so loveable. Sophie is an innocent, curious child, who is willing to share her home and tea and the tiger… Well, the tiger is naughty let’s be honest. He strolls in, eats and drinks everything in the house and then leaves. Shocking behaviour! But isn’t that why children love him and maybe even want to be a bit like him?
The stage play is simply stunning. I couldn’t imagine how such a short picture book could be adapted into a 45 minute production, but it has. Audience participation through song and tiger aerobics (yes, tiger aerobics) engages the viewer immediately. The set is a perfect representation of the original images; it’s a faultless experience. Add the fact that the tickets are only £9 – you can’t fail to be impressed. I asked the children what they thought, so I will leave you with the thoughts of a year one child; ‘The play was so amazing. I really loved all of it but most of all the tiger was brilliant. Can we see it again?’

Pssst, hey you, come here for a moment. I have found a new love and it’s not Mr Frog (he’s my old, irreplaceable love). I’ll tell you, but only if you promise not to keep it to yourselves! That’s right, you need to share this piece of news. Ok? Great!
About a month ago I saw a tweet from @vintagebooks which pictured a rather beautiful Alice in Wonderland illustration by the deliciously talented Annelie Carlstrom. As you may already know, I do have an affirmed addiction to all things Alice, so this new artwork excited me. I tweeted my delight and luckily for me, @vintagebooks replied saying they would send me a catalogue.
Said catalogue arrived last week, along with gorgeously designed bookmarks. I know it’s tragic, but a well put together catalogue makes me very happy. I had decided to purchase this new Alice to add to my ever growing collection. It’s due for publication in August, so not too long to wait. Hooray!
But today another parcel arrived. And you’ll never guess what was inside…the new Alice, The Jungle Book AND Black Beauty. How lucky am I?
Let me tell you about these books. They are so beautiful; yes, I do judge a book (partly) by its cover. And they have a real treat as an added extra. At the back of each book there’s a section called ‘The Backstory’ which introduces the reader to the author, explains some vocabulary and tests the reader’s knowledge of the book. The inner teacher came out at this point! These questions are perfect for guided reading sessions.
But you don’t have to be a teacher to appreciate these books. It’s really great to find classic titles, reprinted in their complete unabridged glory. The back cover has a handy age guide, which can be helpful if you’re unsure what to buy.
Alongside the launch of this collection, there will be an interactive website www.worldofstories.co.uk which promises a whole host of materials to entertain and enthuse readers. What’s not to like?

This week I had the task of choosing core books for my school. A core book is a book which links into the curriculum topic, with the purpose of being shared with the children. The idea is that all of the children will be able to access high level (and high quality) texts, under the careful guidance of their teacher. Because the adult is reading, the level of text can be much more advanced than that of the ability of the children. Using such texts is a perfect way of introducing new vocabulary in a meaningful context. It works extremely well and is something I advocate whole heartedly.
But where do you begin? The choices are so vast, which is a very good thing, but it makes the whole process quite daunting if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
The best approach is to look closely at the curriculum you are planning to deliver, focussing on your intended outcomes. What is it that you want from the books? Hopefully you want to offer the children exciting opportunities to discover new ideas and furnish them with the tools they will need to discuss their findings.
I have found that the most productive (and enjoyable) way of choosing books is to browse, read reviews and seek the opinions of those around you. You also have to know your audience; there’s no point in buying a text-heavy scientific encyclopaedia for a class who are just beginning to learn about life processes. A book should challenge, but it must be accessible. If the book is too complex the audience will be immediately switched off before you have had a chance to share it.
Ultimately we want to be enabled to enthuse children through books. To do that, the adult must be enthusiastic. Get to know the book before you share it, so that you know where to focus the children’s attention. It also means that there are no nasty surprises because sometimes a book may not be as suitable as we hoped! There’s nothing worse than getting half way through a page to realise that you can’t go on reading for fear of traumatising your audience.
Core books have a variety of uses: teaching children to read, extending the experiences of children and reading for information. For core books to succeed within a setting, there should be a comprehensive mix of all three. As I have said before, not all books shared with children should be at their reading level. Our choice of books must be aspirational; we want our children to think ‘I wish I could read that.’ For me it was Roald Dahl’s ‘Danny Champion of the World’. I remember listening in awe as Miss Smith read to us and thinking how great it would be if I could read just like her. It was also the time when I realised that Dahl had the incredible ability to weave beautiful stories. I began writing stories and poems at every given opportunity. The books of our childhood inspire us, they inspire and drive us on, if chosen carefully.

I have stolen an idea from my favourite XFM DJ, Danny Wallace. This week he was talking about autobiographies and the titles you would pick. It all got a bit silly, which is why I tune in religiously every work morning. And it got me to thinking, what would I choose for a trilogy about my life? I think my early years could be entitled ‘Life in the Slow Lane’, followed up by ‘Perky Goths Ruled’ and finished off with ‘The Ramblings of a Big-haired Essex Girl.’ That pretty much sums up the defining eras of my life.

What would you go for?