Book Week 2015

Fire by Jackie French is shortlisted by CBCA for the Picture Book of the Year.

This fictional book and a follow-up to her book Flood. This is a powerful story of the very real threat a bushfire poses in Australia. Through rhyming verses she explores the feelings of just how it feels to be confronted by such an imposing force.

This is my first post in regards to a language other than English (more commonly referred to as L.O.T.E.).

Teaching English to students (when it is their native tongue) can be tricky enough on its own but then throwing another language at them can be confronting, scary, a little exciting...but normally just daunting.

I'm Not Afraid of my Words spelling chart

In my first year of teaching I became a little frustrated with students thinking that I was a walking dictionary. At the time I taught several classes so I wasn't able to implement strategies I had been taught about at university, such as "have-a-go" books (otherwise I would be drowning in books).

In the end I found a novel little idea on Pinterest. A chart in the classroom to get them to have a go first.

I have searched my Pinterest boards for the original pin and also on the Internet but haven't managed to find it again. The idea though may have be based on Lisa Cleaveland's idea which is featured in a book. I believe the book is entitled About the Authors: Writing Workshop and Our Youngest Writers  written by both Lisa Cleaveland and Katie Wood Ray. An excerpt featuring Chapter 4 of the book (which includes the aforementioned chart) is included and available to download for free from Heinemann's website.

If you live in South Australia, like I do, and work as a teacher then by now you should have heard of the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum (KS:CPC). Every teacher who has this as a subject (usually incorporated into Health lessons) is required to have undertaken training first. In theory this is what DECD state but we all know that in the world of teaching not everything goes to plan.

The training is a one-day workshop. It doesn't tax the brain at all and is straight-forward. If you are a teaching graduate you will find that much of the content was covered at university (or is just common sense). Once you have completed the necessary training you will have access to the documentation available at the RAN website.

Book Week 2015

A-Z of Convicts in Van Diemen's Land by Simon Barnard is shortlisted by CBCA for the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books.

This information book focuses on the 73,000 convicts that landed and lived on Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania) after being transported there by the British. It investigates how they lived, what they wore and other experiences.

Most Australian children (including myself) grew up reading and loving the Grug series by Australian author, Ted Prior. The lovable top of Burrawang tree his adventures are engaging for all young children.

As these books have simple illustrations and limited text they are not intimidating to struggling readers. The following activity was actually done first by the teacher in the classroom next door to me a few years ago. She had the children first draw Grug and then draw a space background (as it coincided with the Book Week theme for that year) before the children cut out and glued on their Grug.