Primary Literacy

Teaching every child to read!

We are determined to teach every child to read, so we have developed different programmes to ensure you can meet the needs of all your leaners. Read More

Meet Nadine Cowan, author of the new Black history series from Big Cat

I’m Nadine Cowan and I write and illustrate picture books with Black main protagonists to combat the low figures of Black children in children’s literature from diverse and underrepresented voices/creators. Read More

Books Like Us

I remember visiting the library in Doncaster when I was nine. One time, I spotted something surprising peeping out from a low shelf. ‘Johnny and the Bomb’ by Terry Pratchett. There it was – Johnny! My name! What stuck with me more than the story itself was the euphoria of… Read More

Supporting Reluctant Readers

Reluctant readers are a small but significant group of children who do not yet read for pleasure. They are children who can read, but instead avoid or choose not to read. While not exclusively boys, many are, and finding ways to guide them towards reading as a pleasurable activity is… Read More

Chris Callaghan – From reluctant reader to published author

A few years ago, when I became a published author, I was thrust into a world of writers, readers and of generally charming people who love books. And I mean LOVE books. I listened to their reminisces of devouring all kinds of books from an early age, of excited… Read More

Shinoy and The Chaos Crew – The new Big Cat series for reluctant readers

Reluctant readers are a small group of children who can read but choose not to. Meeting their needs can be extremely challenging, but now Big Cat has a series of books to help this special group of readers ignite their love of reading. Big Cat has always… Read More

Helping children with non-fiction writing

Collins Big Cat author Emily Dodd shares ideas on how to get children excited about writing non-fiction. Although the ideas are aimed at teachers, they can easily be adapted for parents to support their children’s writing at home. Imagination and Memory When I’m starting children off on a… Read More

Helping children with writing fiction

Collins Big Cat author Brandon Robshaw shares his own experiences of writing, plus tips on how to get children excited about writing fiction. Human beings are natural storytellers. Almost as soon as we can talk we find ourselves telling stories – little accounts or reports of things that have… Read More

Helping KS2 Children With Reading At Home

Literacy expert Gill Matthews, shares some simple, enjoyable ideas for how parents can support their child’s reading comprehension and development at home. You may find this helpful to share with your pupils’ parents or you can adapt the ideas for your home learning plan. Once your child is able to… Read More