7 posters based on Chistopher Booker’s ‘The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories’. Posters include: 1.) Overcoming the enemy 2.) Rags to Riches 3.) The Quest 4.) Voyage and Return 5.) Comedy 6.) Tragedy 7.) Rebirth The resource includes an explanation of each story type and links to book examples for KS1 and KS2. Enjoy the resource! Mr D

**UPDATED: 01.09.20 ** This is a FREE reading spine for UK Primary Schools based on ‘Reading Reconsidered’ by Doug Lemov. It is based on his ‘5 Plagues of Reading’ which he feels children should have access to throughout their school lives in order to better comprehend the more challenging texts expected of them in secondary school and beyond. The 5 areas include: 1.) Archaic Texts 2.) Non-Linear Time Sequences 3.) Narratively Complex 4.) Complexity of Plot/Symbolic 5.) Resistant Texts Having completed the reading spine, it was clear and obvious that, although covering the five plagues is a worthwhile target, there are so many other children’s books which are wonderful to study at a primary level, and so I have also included a quick reference guide to Pie Corbett’s free Scholastic reading spine and a range of other ‘go-to’ resources to help you when selecting the right books for your school. It also ensures schools do not repeat books, books are at an appropriate level and there is a justified theme running through your school’s book choices. This will hopefully become an ever-evolving document and will be updated regularly so please feel free to leave comments or email me at mracdpresent@gmail.com with other recommendations. Doug Lemov concludes it succinctly in his book: “If teachers want to ensure maximum achievement in reading and maximum readiness for college, text selection deserves greater attention and intentionality. This does not mean that every book needs to be selected using a ‘maximum value for learning’ calculation. Some should be; we hope many will. Choosing others sheerly for the pleasure of it or on a lark is fine as long as the overall portfolio of books is intentional and balanced.” I hope your school finds it useful, Mr D

The wonderful Ron Berger video about critique and feedback teaches children to improve their work through peer-feedback which is kind, help and specific. The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqh1MRWZjms This is a PowerPoint where I have re-drawn the pictures in the video so they can be used in class or shared with staff. Enjoy! Mr D

THIS IS A FREE SAMPLE COPY of the following product: This all-in-one Slow Writing Pack contains differentiated writing frames, a weekly lesson plan which can be used time and time again, as well as teacher/child criteria tick sheets. Using the 2014 National Curriculum and a range of alternative sentence ideas, the pack is suitable for Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Also provided, are resource ideas and games to help you take Slow Writing further, This is a brilliant way for children to edit, re-draft and improve their work, as well as applying grammar and punctuation skills with strict guidelines.

Teachers Rock! There are a lot of talented teachers out there who rock these days! Here are 10 teachers who live, or have lived, a double life as both teacher and musician. They are all active members of the teaching community on Twitter and have produced some awesome music which we have compiled for your listening pleasure. Patersani (Ofelia) Love Ends Disaster! (Suzanne) Apollo Junction (Paris) Dystopian Future Movies (Inertia) Shortwave Fade (Ghost) One for The Road (Fields of Athenry) Under a Banner (Inseparable) Duke and the Darlings (Days of Wonder) Mosaic (Song Here) Disco Mister (Feed the Rich) Check out the original blog post with biographies from each band and a list of 10 famous musicians who were teachers. The blog can be found HERE.

FREE Adverbs Song by Mr A, Mr C and Mr D Present taken from "The Literacy Jukebox" available on the App Store. Learn all about adverbs with Mr D and his alien friend Bertram in this alternative hip-hop song for the classroom! 1 x Adverbs Song 1 x Adverbs Instrumental 1 x Adverbs Lyrics Verbs are action words, Like – fight, climb, jump, rest, walk, clean or feed, Like – fly, miss, build, whisper, cry or succeed, Now take heed, I’m gonna give you all you need!

FREE Nouns Song by Mr A, Mr C and Mr D Present taken from "The Literacy Jukebox" available on the App Store. Learn all about nouns with Mr D and his class in this fantastic sing-a-long ballad! 1 x Nouns Song 1 x Nouns Instrumental 1 x Nouns Lyrics A noun is an idea, Person, place or thing, Let’s hear you sing!

FREE Adjectives Song by Mr A, Mr C and Mr D Present taken from "The Literacy Jukebox" available on the App Store. Enjoy this fantastic hip-hop and dance sing-a-long by Mr D and his alien friend Bertram. 1 x Adjectives Song 1 x Adjectives Instrumental 1 x Adjectives Lyrics Magic adjectives, Describe for me, Magic adjectives, From London to N.Y.C!

THIS IS A FREE SAMPLE COPY of the following product: 10 week bundle of reading comprehensions linked to a variety of rock, pop and alternative songs specifically chosen for this pack. Each song is broken down into 4 reading comprehensions, starting with retrieval and recording, then context clues, inference and finally an assessment where children are encouraged to work out what type of question they are being asked. Weekly lesson plans are provided along with answer sheets. Breaking reading down into key skills will allow children to appreciate, understand and enjoy these songs whilst focusing on improving their comprehension with this structured and precise method. Songs include: Big Yellow Taxi (by Joni Mitchell) Indian Sunset (by Elton John) Ironic (by Alanis Morissette) Pompeii (by Bastille) Space Oddity (by David Bowie) The Trooper (by Iron Maiden) The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (by Gordon Lightfoot) Thriller (by Michael Jackson) What is Truth? (by Johnny Cash) What’s he Building? (by Tom Waits)

FREE Punctuation Nation Song by Mr A, Mr C and Mr D Present taken from "The Literacy Jukebox" available on the App Store. From full-stops to semi-colons, listen to Mr C as he takes you on a punctuation journey like no other! 1 x Punctuation Nation Song 1 x Punctuation Nation Instrumental 1 x Punctuation Nation Lyrics Let’s end this frustration and teach punctuation ‘til it reaches the corners of our proud nation!

Each song is broken down into 4 reading comprehensions, starting with retrieval and recording, then context clues, inference and finally an assessment where children are encouraged to work out what type of question they are being asked. Perfect for KS2! Weekly lesson plans are provided along with answer sheets. Breaking reading down into key skills will allow children to appreciate, understand and enjoy these songs whilst focusing on improving their comprehension with this structured and precise method. Songs include: Big Yellow Taxi (by Joni Mitchell) Indian Sunset (by Elton John) Ironic (by Alanis Morissette) Pompeii (by Bastille) Space Oddity (by David Bowie) The Trooper (by Iron Maiden) The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (by Gordon Lightfoot) Thriller (by Michael Jackson) What is Truth? (by Johnny Cash) What’s he Building? (by Tom Waits)