What’s an apostrophe for?
It’s not uncommon to see apostrophes used incorrectly, even in professional writing. But apostrophes don’t have to be difficult. They really have just two uses — for contractions and to...
teaching writing
Writing Poetry with Children
With this month being National Poetry Month in the US and 17 April being International Haiku Day, I thought it was timely to share some of our poetry resources. Here...
Innovating on the nursery rhyme Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Innovating on familiar nursery rhymes and songs is an easy and fun way to encourage children to think creatively, to develop their writing skills and extend their vocabularies. There are...
Having fun with Haiku Poetry in the Classroom
Next Saturday 17 April is Haiku Poetry Day. Why not prepare for the day, by reading and writing haiku during the week leading up to it, or for those of...
Who can be a writer? You can!
I always enjoyed writing with children — the entire process. We saw story potential everywhere and found inspiration in the things they said or did as well as in everyday...
Christmas Lessons and Activities for P–2
December is packed with excitement for children in Australia. It marks the end of the school year and the beginning of the long summer, often called ‘Christmas’, holidays and, of...
Creating a Positive Future with Ethicool Books
Today I am delighted to introduce you to a new publishing company Ethicool Books. When I first heard about Ethicool Books, I was intrigued by the name and the play...
Meet Caroline Tuohey author of Skadoodle & Snug’s Magnificent Plan
Today it is my pleasure to introduce you to Caroline Tuohey author of the delightful picture book Skadoodle and Snug’s Magnificent Plan. I previously introduced you to some of Caroline’s...
It’s time for the 2020 Student Blogging Challenge — Join Now!
The 2020 Student Blogging Challenge starts on March 15. If you wish to participate, it’s still not too late to join in. What is the Student Blogging Challenge? The Student...
Fly away with Pippa and her author Dimity Powell
Have you ever wished you could fly? Or perhaps wished for a chance to explore but were held back by rules and restrictions? I always thought it would be marvellous...
Teaching and learning with nursery rhymes
Nursery rhymes are often a child’s first introduction to our literary heritage. Parents sing nursery rhyme lullabies to soothe their babies to sleep and play nursery rhyme games to entertain...
Appreciating and exploring poetry in lower primary classrooms
Poetry is a wonderful tool for learning language. When children listen to or recite poetry, they are learning the rhythms and sounds of language, exploring ideas and how to express...