My Book Journal by Kate Taylor https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks Kate Taylor en-us 2022-03-07 14:43:01 UTC 2022-04-03 14:15:38 UTC hello@padlet.com katetaylor9711 https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2081816327 the ks1 book the 'The Hungry Caterpillar' is a picture book written and illustrated by Eric Carle. It explores the life cycle of a caterpillar as it starts by coming out of its egg, all the way to becoming a butterfly.  The illustrations resemble collages and are simple and colourful so therefore continues to interest children. It is also known as an excellent book due to it containing lots of repetition and rhythmic language. Rhyme helps children begin to recognize patterns in words and to discriminate between different sounds; children can begin to play around with words and rhymes themselves and recognize what happens to a word when a sound changes. The book continues to develop children's mathematic skills (for example counting from 1-5), science (discussing healthy and unhealthy foods to eat), and days of the week). This allows children to continue to develop their future knowledge
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The age group for this book is ages 1-5 years. 
I would suggest this book to be an individual read to allow the children to improve their reading and to follow the illustrations. 

activities;
1. I would ask the students' to write a similar story about a 'very hungry' animal? What happens to it? This will allow the teacher to asses the students' writing skills. 
2. I will ask the students' to sort the foods that the caterpillar eats, in different ways. Which ones are healthy / unhealthy? Which are processed / unprocessed. I will then allow the children to discuss their ideas. 
3. I will allow my next classroom activity to link to design technology. I will allow the children to make a pop-up book which retells the story. This allows the children to be as creative as they want with their individual ideas. ]]> 2022-03-07 14:50:35 UTC https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2081816327 katetaylor9711 https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2097881143 The KS2 book 'the boy at the back of the class' is a touching and clear-sighted child's-eye view of the problems facing refugees. It highlights the arrival of a new boy in the classroom, and sparks a funny, moving and quietly powerful story for young readers. 'Our narrator- we only discover her name in the last chapter - is immediately intrigued by her new classmate, who doesn't speak, or smile, and disappears at break times. She's determined to become his friend and as she gets to know him learns that Ahmet is a refugee from Syria. Finding out that his family are lost somewhere in Europe she decides to help- something that exposes both the prejudice and generosity of those around her'. The Boy At the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf (9781510105010/Paperback) | LoveReading (lovereading4kids.co.uk) 
The plotline is described as very lively - as it includes excellent comic scenes - and continues to keep the story positive and uplifting while still illustrating the cruelly and bigotry that refugees face. 

The age group of this book is year3. Age 8-9 years old.
I would suggest this book to be an individual read. To allow the children's vocabulary to develop wider.

activities- 
1.  I will ask the children to make regular predictions about what might happen next from the details stated in a range of chapters/ paragraphs within the book. I will ask the children to show this within short paragraphs and sharing them with the other peers on their tables. 
2. I will allow the children to do a 'hot seat' activity. ' What questions would you like to ask Ahmet?' The child will demonstrate Ahmet emotions whilst telling their answers. This will be done in small groups and then lead to a whole class one in order to push the students.
3. The children will discuss in small groups 'what happens in the story to give each chapter hope?' This will be illustrated in small groups working together to create a mindmap on A4 paper. ]]> 2022-03-16 12:03:37 UTC https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2097881143 katetaylor9711 https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2097905716
ks1 book; Stick Man and his family live in their family tree. Stick Man separates from his family after a dog grabs him and the poor soul tries his best to go back to them. This a delightful children's fiction story, with a winter-holiday setting. Stick Man and his stick family are imaginative stick people who live in their family tree. We follow Stick Man through some unexpected adventures that begin one day, as he goes out for a jog and is abducted by a dog. A series of misadventures ensues as Stick Man tries to make his way home, encountering ever more outlandish situations that thwart him.
The age range I would suggest for this book would be; ages between 5-7 years old. I would choose this age range because it is easy to follow, creative and allows children to dig inside their imagination. It also allows younger children to begin to gain a sense of higher vocabulary.

This book would be both a guided read and an individual read. Furthermore, it could be an individual read in order to assess the students ability to understand and follow the storyline individually. Also, it could be a guided read in order to lead to group activities and different view points of the book for example 'the alleyway' activity to explore the stickman's different feelings and emotions.


activities-
1. I would ask the children to find all the rhyming words in the book and use them to make their own rhyming dictionary- by children recognizing rhyming words it allows them to improve their individual phonological awareness skills and allows them to improve their reading skills. The skills learnt will allow children to use rhyming words in their own writing. 
2.  I would read the part of the book when Stick Man tries to escape from the fire, he makes lots of different types of movements (e.g. scratch, scrape, wiggle, jiggle, poke, shove, nudge, hop, jump). I would then ask the children can you think of any other words that can be used to describe movement? - this can be showed any way the child chooses for example; mindmap, poster. 
3. If this book is used for younger aged children I would allow them to gather their own sticks and create their own stickman and begin to explore the synopsis of the story- this will allow the children to use their creativity in their own way, allowing them to improve and develop their independence.
 

]]> 2022-03-16 12:20:03 UTC https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2097905716 katetaylor9711 https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2098155661 the ks2 book 'Matilda'; 'Most parents think highly of their children and (incorrectly) believe their children are geniuses. This is not the case with Mr. Wormwood and Mrs. Wormwood, who have two children, Micheal l and Matilida Matilda is a genius, but her parents are counting down the days until they can get rid of her. They’re not impressed when Matilda can speak like an adult by 18 months, or when she asks for books at age four. Instead, they tell her to be quiet and that she’s spoiled if she’s asking for books—she should watch television instead'. She is known as a under-estimated girl, and begins to show this in many different ways (especially through the use of magic); which continues to interest young children. 

The age group I would use this book for would be; 8-12 years old.
This book could be either a individual read or a guided read. A guided read will allow the class to have further discussion and allow them to discuss different emotions within the book. A individual read will allow the students' to develop their reading skills. 

activites; 
1. I would allow the children to write a review of the book (including pictures). including descriptions explaining their options. Groups will stick their reviews on the wall display and discuss different options with the whole class.
2.  Make a roleplay dramatisation of the story within small groups highlighting the overall story of the book. 
3. I will place the name of each character into a hat and as I pull each name out of the hat the students' will create a mindmap illustrating their feelings and options on that certain character.  

]]> 2022-03-16 14:26:01 UTC https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2098155661 katetaylor9711 https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2102059577 Superworm is a hero, he is super-long and super-strong so he is capable of all sorts of things. In this delightful story he saves a toad who has hopped onto the road, helps the bees stop feeling bored and saves a beetle that falls down a well. Superworm seems to view these creatures as his friends but they seem quick to take advantage of his unusual size, strength and good nature. It is a book known to 'put a smile on your face'. 

The age group I would suggest this book for would be between 5-7 years old in a ks1 classroom.
I would allow this read to be a whole class read. This is because it can  be used as a hook into a wide range of different units of work, linking to different subjects. 

activities;
1. I will ask the children to think of some questions that they might like to ask Superworm. How might he respond? This will be done throughout a group discussion as a class, in order to gather different ideas. 
2. I will create a class discussion about how many different ways is Superworm used in the story? And ask the children can you make a new page in which Superworm helps a different animal?
3. Within small groups they will create venn diagrams sorting  the creatures into different groups? And discussing why they have place each creature in what group. Allowing them to compare their venn diagrams with different groups.
Superworm | Teaching Ideas
 
]]> 2022-03-18 14:45:46 UTC https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2102059577 katetaylor9711 https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2102125432 It is a hilarious and heartfelt story of old age, adventure, stolen jewels and swimming the Thames. The son Ben illustrated in the book hates spending time with his boring granny while his parents are off ballroom dancing. however, little does he know that his granny has a secret. Together they go on an adventure and become the best of friends. The pair of them set out on a criminal adventure. 

I believe the suitable age for this book is A KS2 class ages between 8-11 years old. 
This can be either a guided read as a whole class or individual read. It could be a guided read because it allows the students' to discuss their ideas and debates as a whole class to the teacher. I could also be a individual read if the child is confident with all the vocabulary in the book.

1. For activity one I would read chapter 1 and 2 to the children and ask them to demonstrate descriptions Ben gives of Granny while reading chapter 1 and then repeat the same activity whilst I read chapter 2. Children are able to present the work in any way for example poster, mindmap, list. At the end of the book the children should upload all their work onto a padlet in order to gather all their knowledge they have learnt from this book. 
2. I would ask the children to imagine that they are Mr Parker. Create a set of Neighborhood Watch rules to help others in the community stay safe from crime. I would ask the children to present this as creative as possible and then discuss their rules towards the class and allow the children to give their peers feedback of 2 positive points and 1 point for improvement.
3. I would allow my final activity to link to science I would explain to the class that Raj tries to sell some Cornettos with a Best Before date of 15th November 1996. Find out what might happen to food after their best before dates. How do we keep different types of food fresh for as long as possible. For this activity I would allow the children to work in pairs with ipads. I would then ask each pair to discuss their thoughts and ideas with another pair. ]]> 2022-03-18 15:23:47 UTC https://padlet.com/katetaylor9711/Bookmarks/wish/2102125432