Tag Archives: Supporting reading and writing

Celebrating 15 years of innovating publishing with Barrington Stoke and Malorie Blackman: Jon for Short, a high/low reading book for teenagers

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Yvonne Keen

                      I want to shout from the rooftops to tell everyone what an amazing job Barrington Stoke is doing extending the joy of reading to ALL young readers and especially to those … Continue reading →

Posted in Blackman, Malorie, Teenage, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Award Winning Author’s Puppets Bring the Write Stuff to Schools in Association with Scottish Book Trust and BBC Scotland Learning

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Yvonne Keen

Award winning author-illustrator Polly Dunbar is set to be the star of a magical free event on Thursday 25th April, which will be broadcast live over the internet to tens of thousands of primary school pupils across the UK. Young … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Make time for reading for pleasure and not just to get ahead at school. Egmont’s ‘Reading Street’ reveals key benefits of children reading being missed

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Yvonne Keen

Our time (as children and adults) is constantly under pressure – from work, school, including homework and preparation for endless tests and exams (UK children are amongst the most tested children in the world), television, computer games and hand-held gadgets.   And … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult, Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Age 8-10, Pre-teen, Teenage, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Two new children’s writing competitions: one about your hopes and dreams, the other wildlife themed and inspired by children’s bedtime classics such as Wind in the Willows.

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

I have mentioned before how good children’s writing competitions are for developing children’s creative thinking and writings skills. And here are two more children’s writing competitions sure to set minds thinking, pens twitching and fingers racing over keys. RSPCA launches children’s short story … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 8-10, Pre-teen, Teenage | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Engaging, relevant and ‘grown-up’ ‘high/low’ reading books, giving older children a second shot at mastering reading

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

Good as many phonics reading schemes are (Jolly Phonics; Oxford Reading Tree; Read, Write, Inc), they are clearly not suitable for older learners.   Pictures and text about Floppy and Kipper will just not cut it with older readers.  Instead, what’s required are … Continue reading →

Posted in Pre-teen, Teenage | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reading books and ideas for when boys and girls (but especially boys) fall behind in their reading

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

It is well documented* that there is a “reading gender gap” between boys and girls and that it is growing.  Schools are attempting to address reading issues by using synthetic phonics to teach the mechanics of reading from Reception onwards.  And … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 8-10, Bradman, Tony, Breslin, Theresa, Cann, Kate, Cottrell Boyce, Frank, Morgan, Michaela, Palmer, Tom, Pre-teen, Teenage | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Children’s magazines and comics: two more examples of when children’s magazine publishers get it right

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

A short while ago (April 2012), I wrote a piece expressing my dismay over the poor quality of most children’s magazines available on the British high street and in supermarkets.  “Buy one magazine, get five tacky, two-minute-wonder toys for free” was the … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 6-8, Age 8-10, Pre-teen, Teenage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Books without words: the starting point for introducing your child to reading. Dressing by Helen Oxenbury, Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

Believe it or not, books with no words (or just a few) are the basis for introducing your child to reading.   It’s never too soon to introduce books and share books with your baby and books with no words or … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 0-2, Age 2-4, Age 4-6 | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Children’s magazines: getting past the ‘buy one magazine, get five tacky, two-minute wonder toys for free’ to something educational and beautiful

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

Go with your children to any supermarket or a branch of a well-known newsagent/bookseller chain and you will find it very difficult to make it past the children’s magazines section.   The magazines are strategically placed at kiddy eye level and are … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 2-4, Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Age 8-10, Pre-teen, Wilson, Jacqueline | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

4 books to help children to learn to read and write

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

Before talking about particular books to help you support your child with reading and writing, I can honestly say that the best thing that I have found to help with my children’s language development is simply to enjoy lots and … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 0-2, Age 2-4, Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Age 8-10, Pre-teen | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment