Teaching Pre-Twentieth Century Literature at KS2 and KS3

By David Carter

David Fulton Publishers, pound;16 paperback

When so many literature lessons are merely a series of literacy exercises, David Carter’s work is inspiring. His starting point is his own love of literature and the transforming power a great text can have on individuals, whatever their age.

There are no photocopiable worksheets in this book, no fixed learning outcomes and few references to the national curriculum.

Instead, Carter shows us how teachers can use their own love of literature to excite young people about a text. He uses drama, art, music, even physical education and dance - anything to encourage an emotional engagement with the work in hand. It is only when they are enthralled by the story that the challenges of the language can be overcome.

Carter has refreshingly high expectations of pupils and his case studies show some impressive results. Teachers may have to campaign to teach in this cross-curricular, unorthodox fashion, but this is surely justified by the quality of the child’s learning experience.

Language through Poetry

Using Poetry to Explore How Language Works

By Ross Palmer

Carel Press

Copiable book pound;14.95,15 or more pound;4.95 each

Ross Palmer thinks children learn about grammar more easily and enjoyably when decontextualised sentences are abandoned.

This series of photocopiable worksheets uses an interesting selection of poems as the context for progressively more complex grammar exercises. As such, it will provide great time-saving ideas for stressed teachers juggling an overloaded curriculum.

Some exercises work extremely well, an example being a study of syllables combined with an oral presentation of John Masefield’s “Cargoes”. There are, however, dangers with Palmer’s approach. The first is that we over-analyse a poem beyond the point of enjoyment: we lose the emotional response and the poem is seen as merely collected words.

The bigger danger is that we produce some very confused ideas about grammar. The book contains sections on sentences, paragraphs and punctuation. But most poetry doesn’t use these linguistic structures. We are left to teach what is not in the poem, and to make the grammar point must either resort to decontextualised sentences or have some very confused pupils.

How To Teach Non-Fiction Writing at Key Stage 3

By Paul Evans

How To Teach Fiction Writing at Key Stage 3

By Neil Macrae

How To Teach Poetry Writing at Key Stage 3

By Pie Corbett

David Fulton Publishers

Paperbacks pound;12 each

The books from the Writer’s Workshop Series provide key stage 3 English teachers with a wealth of ideas for inspiring budding young authors.

All three encourage children to see themselves as writers. The role of the teacher is to work with them, sharing the delights and frustrations of writing. The series aims to help teachers inspire, nurture and finely tune the work produced in class.

The authors share an impressive wealth of creative and school-based experience. Their ideas are brought to us in the form of teacher notes, classroom activities and pupil worksheets.

Paul Evans uses a range of non-fiction resources to encourage children to read in a more engaged and questioning manner. Pupils are then led through exercises to use what they have learned from this process to experiment with producing their own texts.

Neil Macrae uses reading, images and cartoon strips as a basis for teaching fiction writing, with an excellent selection of progressive exercises guaranteed to stimulate quality writing. Pie Corbett’s approach is to use games and brainstorming techniques to get the creative juices flowing.

Joanna Williams is an English home-tuition teacher in Kent