Poetry

Connecting with unseen poetry

Any examination is a contained and isolating space, the examinee on their own, having to rely on themselves to navigate their way and manage their time. The unseen poetry section is often considered the place containing the highest degree of challenge because of the unfamiliarity of the poem(s) presented. And… Read More

Dealing with Poetryphobia

Students often express negative perceptions about poetry. They feel intimidated; they think it’s difficult; they ‘can’t get on with it’. Such perceptions can be self-fulfilling if we’re not careful. How do we get them to appreciate that poetry might be worth reading or even something from which… Read More

The Centenary of the Birth of Dylan Thomas

This October sees the centenary of the birth of one of the 20th century’s greatest authors and poets, Dylan Thomas. There are few writers who fill their work with such vivid imagery and the anniversary gives us the excuse to delve into some of his most famous works and use… Read More

Causes and effects of World War 1

Suitable for: Year 3 to Year 6 Learning Focus: To empathise with people’s feelings over the cause and effects of the Great War To be able to compare and contrast source material to form a personal opinion This year our TV screens, newspapers and more will be filled with stories… Read More

Shakespeare’s Sonnets – for years 4-6

Learning Focus: Be able to recognise and say the metre of a rhyming piece of writing Be able to write a rhyming poem using a recognised structure Shakespeare is mainly known for his plays but he wrote many poems too. The most famous poems are a particular kind of… Read More

Primary Literacy – The Paralympics

Whilst the Paralympics would seem to give us plenty of scope for activities in sport and in maths, there’s a lot of English work that can easily be drawn out of it, linking to other curriculum areas. In the following activities we’ll show you how to use the event for… Read More