Collins Big Cat

Closing the Word Gap

On the 27th of April Collins hosted the first Closing the Word Gap early reading conference. The conference was led by early reading experts Charlotte Raby and Emily Guille-Marrett who discussed comprehension, fluency, phonics and reading for pleasure. We’ve rounded up some of the key findings from the day below. The… Read More

Why non-fiction is as important as fiction

“If a child can and does read non-fiction texts, the world is their oyster – they can learn anything and everything they want to learn.” This statement was written by tes.com writer Aidan Severs in his article ‘Six reasons why primary schools need to embrace non-fiction’… Read More

Shakespeare Teaching Ideas for Key Stage 2

The result at Collins are five plays: The Tempest, Midsummer’s Night Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Twelfth Night, rewritten in story form for younger readers. These are a great introduction to the world of Shakespeare but how can we use them effectively to help pupils immerse themselves in the rich language of Shakespeare’s world? Read More

Reading in Early Years

Reading in the Early Years and Foundation Stage is a magical time. For many it’s when reading finally comes together with phonics being grasped and fluency meaning the focus is more on the content rather than the mechanics. It’s at this time that as teachers and parents we need… Read More

Primary Literacy – Collins Big Cat Writing Competition 2012

Berlie Doherty Whenever I work with young children I am delighted, but not surprised, at the level of creative excellence many of them are capable of. Teachers know this, sometimes their peers know this, but often the young writer doesn’t. Read More

Primary literacy – Writing competition!

Have your pupils entered the Collins Big Cat Writing Competition?  Now in it’s third year, hear from the winners of the 2011 competition and watch this space for information on how to enter for 2012…if you think you’re up to the challenge! The competition is a… Read More