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Find out moreSpecialist books aimed at teachers and other professionals in education.
A new approach to behaviour management | A book packed with sound advice and made more relevant because the writers are teachers and have put their advice into action. Evidence based practice is always the best. There are so many useful phrases and practical tips and quotes. Phrases like ‘never leave a child with no where to go, behaviourally or educationally’, or ‘a burnt-out teacher cannot foster positive relationships’ and the ‘importance of personal space’ are particularly memorable examples. The style is informal and chatty and clearly laid out. I like the key ‘learning point’ boxes at the end of each chapter and the interesting examples of successes had with previous pupils. On occasions however, the examples are a little too lengthy and a little too personal. Whilst not prudish in any way, I did not think the swear words added much to the narrative or the over personalisation of ‘Steve’ or ‘Mick’ in the chapter overviews. Whilst I respected the scientific research that had gone into the reasons behind why children behave as they do, I think it would be fair to say that most educators want solutions and answers. Not because they do not care or are not interested in the science, but because they just do not have the time. For me, the interesting chapters were those that provided solutions to situations and offered practical help to real life scenarios. There were certainly many useful, thought provoking messages and theories throughout the book that we can all learn from.
Action Jackson's guide to motivating learners | This book has a really, important basic message that happy children will learn and be successful. It is packed with useful tips, interesting, stories and anecdotes. However, I feel what lets it down from the start is the cover which to me, paints the wrong picture and conjures up a cartoon style of children’s book. I am sure the colour and font are designed to complement the word ‘happy’, but does this work? On a positive note, it is a very readable book, clearly laid out with some very helpful classroom tips. I particularly like the use of the acrostic technique of delivering messages, BIDMAS and READY on pages 113 and 117,being two great examples that would work as display material in the classroom. The messages he delivers is so important, ‘make education relevant’, ‘embrace negativity’ and ‘don’t limit your challenges’ being particularly good examples. It is important to inspire and encourage. However, the British as a nation can be quite reticent and conservative, and to an extent negative about themselves. I think chapters headed ‘you are amazing’ and ‘be in your zone of impact’ might be a little bit much for many staffrooms and deemed a little too ‘American’. I would say most of us would agree the sentiments and vision behind the book, we just need it delivered in a slightly less cliched and less patronising fashion.
Using the science of learning to transform classroom practice | For anyone who likes scientific evidence and research to support why we teach in the way we do, or why we should change our approach, this is their perfect book. Each chapter is supported by laboratory tests, field work and educational studies combined with a wealth of incredibly, comprehensive support material. Teachers are constantly being challenged as to their approach to delivery and very often it appears as if we are being asked to reinvent the wheel for the sake of it. As Tait says in his introduction, ‘would you go to a hospital and be told by your surgeon that he is going try out a new medical procedure?' In the same way, teachers need to see evidence and proof of success. This book certainly goes a long way in providing this. The aim of the book, according to the author, is to provide an accessible, concise overview of the main research that underpins how we learn, which it certainly does. The book is divided into 10 chapters, each covering one significant topic in detail. The author does say the book can be read cover to cover or dipped in and out of. I would say this is quite hard to do as there is so much information and so many examples and ideas within each topic. However, the way the chapters are laid out do make this possible. The teaching tip for each topic, the key quotes in bold, combined with the introductory paragraph at the start does make the book more accessible for the time poor. An interesting addition to staff inset sessions and the staffroom bookshelf.
The case for ethical leadership in schools | Being neither a Head nor an aspiring leader, I was initially wary of reviewing this book. But being married to an ex-head I thought it would be interesting to view someone else’s viewpoint and perspective. Oddly enough, the more I read, the more I realised that what she had to say applied to all of us. Her approach to leadership and her belief in people and the importance of a calm and caring team are values applicable to any workplace. The book is set out in a clear and informative style, easily accessible due to the overview, the subheadings and the questions raised at the end of each chapter. She manages to get her points across in a non-patronising, honest and thoughtful way. What she says is both sensible and achievable. She recognises the various leadership styles and makes no secret of the loneliness and often overwhelmingly difficult task headship can be. The impact of poverty and lack of funding is delivered without laying blame. Her approach throughout is to make life easier for everyone, Heads, staff, parents and children. She is not waving a magic wand or trying to reinvent the wheel, simply to ask the questions. Her approach is neither radical or revolutionary and that is what makes it work, makes it achievable. I think everyone could take something from this book. She is certainly a Head I would be happy to work for.
For those educators already teaching Forest School, it is packed with ideas and clever links to the curriculum, but it is also a perfect start for those venturing outdoors for the first time. It provides a well-structured scheme of work that is clear and undaunting. I think many of us are wary of outdoor educating for fear that we are not covering the curriculum adequately, or adhering to health and safety regulations sufficiently, but all that is done for you, it's brilliant. The book is ideal for those who want the entire curriculum prepared for them, but it is also set out in such a way that you can dip in and out, or add some ideas to existing plans. The book is worded in a very accessible way, relevant and progressive. It is very easy to use and includes all the plans, resources and considerations for each lesson, the entire curriculum is covered for both years 1&2, with ideas for whole class groups, paired and individual activities. This makes it ideal for any educational scenario, whether your school is embracing the entire concept or only running forest school as a voluntary club. I have already passed on the title to colleagues teaching outdoors and I know it will prove incredibly popular.
Teaching outside the classroom improves pupils' engagement with learning as well as their health and wellbeing, but how can teachers link curriculum objectives effectively with enjoyable and motivating outdoor learning in Year 3? The National Curriculum Outdoors: Year 3 presents a series of photocopiable lesson plans that address each primary curriculum subject, whilst enriching pupils with the benefits of learning in the natural environment. Outdoor learning experts Sue Waite, Michelle Roberts and Deborah Lambert provide inspiration for primary teachers to use outdoor contexts as part of their everyday teaching and showcase how headteachers can embed curriculum teaching outside throughout the school, whilst protecting teaching time and maintaining high-quality teaching and performance standards. All of the Year 3 curriculum lessons have been tried and tested successfully in schools and can be adapted and developed for school grounds and local natural environments. What's more, each scheme of work in this all-encompassing handbook includes primary curriculum objectives; intended learning outcomes; warm-up and main activities; plenary guidance; natural connections; ICT and PSHE links; and word banks.
Understanding and teaching primary grammar | As an English teacher, I am always on the lookout for a useful grammar book that I can dip in and out of, one where I can quickly check a query or confirm an idea. As the authors comment in the introduction, ‘Good grammar is often that which eliminates confusion or ambiguity’. It is so easy to think you know how something should be written and instinct often tells you where to put a comma, but it is not always easy to justify or explain. You have a feeling but cannot necessarily explain why something is what it is, which is not useful in the classroom. This book is very good at removing the myth, simplifying the rules, and clarifying things without patronising. The book is laid out very clearly, with a comprehensive glossary, useful references and a clear table explaining what grammar should be taught to what year group. Each area of grammar is clearly explained with appropriate exercises, examples, useful references, fun activities, and links to online support material. I put the glossary to the test to see if my theoretical questions could be answered and was rewarded with helpful answers on each occasion. It is a very user-friendly book and one I suspect I will regularly be dipping into. As teachers, you want reliable resources, easily available, which this certainly delivers. It is clear the book was written by teachers for teachers and is all the better for it.
Suitable for Key Stage 2+ | I really liked the style of this book and the clear and punchy way the information was delivered. Having taught from years 2&3 who need to understand basic punctuation to years 7&8 who are tackling the more complex use of colons and adverbials I am always looking for varied and interesting ways to present the information. By its nature punctuation is a rather dull, dry topic, so anything new and fun is always a treat. In some places, the book reminded me of Eat, shoots and leaves. Another fun look at punctuation. There was lots here that would be really useful in the classroom and would work well on the white board. There were lots of examples here that would make great worksheets. There were also lots of fun pages that were easily accessible to parents and children and the clear answer guide and index, make it very user friendly. It is a great resource to dip into, as explained in the introduction, but I feel it would be more useful to a teacher than a parent. As despite answers and examples, some of the information would need a little extra padding out or explaining. Due to the nature of the jokes, which are a little similar and somewhat cheesy, I don’t think it is a recourse you should over use. I think a few groans from your students might be the result. That aside, humour is a great way of getting a point across and could well help children remember the rules. Perhaps a little like penicillin, it needs to be rationed. The layout is particularly appealing. I liked the use of the boxes for notes and introductions. The illustrations were particularly clear and helpful. I also loved the little snippets of history, such as lo in Latin meaning hurrah, the origin of the exclamation mark. I shall dine out on that one. It is definitely a resource I would be happy to dip into and would be very happy to have on a shelf in my classroom. It is certainly the liveliest punctuation book I have come across – a really unusual approach and definitely one that works.
Teaching outside the classroom improves pupils' engagement with learning as well as their health and wellbeing, but how can teachers link curriculum objectives effectively with enjoyable and motivating outdoor learning in Year 4? The National Curriculum Outdoors: Year 4 presents a series of photocopiable lesson plans that address each primary curriculum subject, whilst enriching pupils with the benefits of learning in the natural environment. Outdoor learning experts Sue Waite, Michelle Roberts and Deborah Lambert provide inspiration for primary teachers to use outdoor contexts as part of their everyday teaching and showcase how headteachers can embed curriculum teaching outside throughout the school, whilst protecting teaching time and maintaining high-quality teaching and performance standards. All of the Year 4 curriculum lessons have been tried and tested successfully in schools and can be adapted and developed for school grounds and local natural environments. What's more, each scheme of work in this all-encompassing handbook includes primary curriculum objectives; intended learning outcomes; warm-up and main activities; plenary guidance; natural connections; ICT and PSHE links; and word banks.
Teaching outside the classroom improves pupils' engagement with learning as well as their health and wellbeing, but how can teachers link curriculum objectives effectively with enjoyable and motivating outdoor learning in Year 5? The National Curriculum Outdoors: Year 5 presents a series of photocopiable lesson plans that address each primary curriculum subject, whilst enriching pupils with the benefits of learning in the natural environment. Outdoor learning experts Sue Waite, Michelle Roberts and Deborah Lambert provide inspiration for primary teachers to use outdoor contexts as part of their everyday teaching and showcase how headteachers can embed curriculum teaching outside throughout the school, whilst protecting teaching time and maintaining high-quality teaching and performance standards. All of the Year 5 curriculum lessons have been tried and tested successfully in schools and can be adapted and developed for school grounds and local natural environments. What's more, each scheme of work in this all-encompassing handbook includes primary curriculum objectives; intended learning outcomes; warm-up and main activities; plenary guidance; natural connections; ICT and PSHE links; and word banks.
Teaching outside the classroom improves pupils' engagement with learning as well as their health and wellbeing, but how can teachers link curriculum objectives effectively with enjoyable and motivating outdoor learning in Year 6? The National Curriculum Outdoors: Year 6 presents a series of photocopiable lesson plans that address each primary curriculum subject, whilst enriching pupils with the benefits of learning in the natural environment. Outdoor learning experts Sue Waite, Michelle Roberts and Deborah Lambert provide inspiration for primary teachers to use outdoor contexts as part of their everyday teaching and showcase how headteachers can embed curriculum teaching outside throughout the school, whilst protecting teaching time and maintaining high-quality teaching and performance standards. All of the Year 6 curriculum lessons have been tried and tested successfully in schools and can be adapted and developed for school grounds and local natural environments. What's more, each scheme of work in this all-encompassing handbook includes primary curriculum objectives; intended learning outcomes; warm-up and main activities; plenary guidance; natural connections; ICT and PSHE links; and word banks.
This book has managed to be both accessible and very relevant without being patronising, which is always a difficult balance. It is packed with tips and anecdotes and what makes it especially good, is the fact that, as a busy teacher, you can simply dip in to a relevant chapter. It is a great guide book, but I also liked the way that it is laid out instructions, suggestions and ideas for teachers, whilst allowing us the freedom to adapt the programme for ourselves. It is a huge resource with cross references to other publications and practices. I loved the brief synopsis at the start of each chapter with the teaching tips, leadership tips and the unusual addition of the unexpected findings box, which was particularly interesting. A shame the political parties have not read the findings on how smaller classes are only more effective if the class size is below 20 and focused itself on more useful suggestions that they might put into place. The book is full of common sense suggestions, reminders and solutions such as ‘technology is there to support, not replace’ and the importance of feedback not marking which can simply be a way of demonstrating a teacher’s performance or to satisfy the requirements of others, mainly adults. It was reassuring to see in print, so much of what so many of us think. The advice in the book is incredibly helpful. It is not trying to reinvent the wheel, but giving teachers reminders about how to apply best practice. It is very easy to stop learning yourself in the efforts to educate others. The book summarises very succinctly what we all aspire to be. It is not what you do, but the way that you do it, that is important. This book would be brilliant for CPD or an inset training in any school and a valuable asset to any staffroom book shelf.
