Blackhen Education's Top Easter Reads

During the school holidays, you deserve to be relaxing and putting your feet up, and what better way to do that than with a good book? Research suggests that children who read regularly are more imaginative, and it is said to improve your writing skills too. However, finding a book can be tricky; there’s millions out there. So we’ve compiled a list of some recommended reads to help you pick the perfect book for you.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

(Ages 5-7)

Duncan wants to colour, but when he opens the box he finds that all his crayons have gone, and there is a note saying ‘we quit’. Will Duncan get them back?

                      

To Wee or Not to Wee by Pamela Butchart

(Ages 6-8)

Izzy is asked to tell her friends some SUPER hilarious and scary stories. Izzy knows how funny Shakespeare was, so exaggerates some of his best stories in this funny book.

The Huge Bag of Worries by Virginia Ironside

Ages 6-8

Jenny has a lot of worries. So many worries in fact, that she has to carry them around in her big blue bag. The bag goes everywhere with her. Finally, Jenny decides they will have to go, but will anyone help her?

The Parent Agency by David Badiel

(Ages 9-11)

Barry hates his parents and wishes he had better ones. But far away, there’s a world where children get to choose who their parents are…

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens

(Ages 9-11)

Daisy and Hazel set up their own secret detective agency at school. It’s all quite quiet, until they find their science teacher lying dead in the gym. Will they catch the culprit before they strike again?

Holes by Louis Sachar

(Ages 10-13)

Stanley is cursed. At least that’s how he feels when he’s accused of a crime and then sent to Camp Green Lake instead of prison. Camp Green Lake is not green and there’s no lake. Each day Stanley has to dig a hole, and it feels more like prison than he could have imagined. Then, one day he finds something that changes everything…

Once by Morris Gleitzman

(Ages 11-13)

This book tells the story of Felix, a little Jewish boy living in Poland during World War 2. Felix escapes from the orphanage where he lives to try and find his parents and save them from the Nazis. If you enjoy this book there are five more books in the series.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

(Ages 13+)

The first book in this trilogy, The Knife of Never Letting Go tells the tale of Todd, the only boy left in Prentisstown, and in one month he will become a man like the rest of the town. But this is no ordinary town, as here, no thoughts are private. Todd realises secrets are being kept from him, and he’s left with no choice but to run…

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

(Ages 13+)

Sephy is a Cross. Callum is a Nought. The dark-skinned crosses are the ruling race, whilst the white skinned Noughts are members of the underclass, who were once enslaved by the Crosses. The Noughts become increasingly frustrated with their social position, and war erupts. But amidst this a romance builds between Sephy and Callum.

Other Recommended Reads:

Rosie Revere, Engineer- Andrea Beaty (5-7)

The Thirteen Story Tree House- Andy Griffiths (6-8)

Oh The Places You’ll Go-  Dr Seuss (5-9)

Beetle Boy- M.G Leonard (8-11)

My Brother is a Superhero- David Solomans (8-11)

The Lion, the witch and the Wardrobe- C.S. Lewis (8-11)

An Eagle in the Snow- Michael Morpurgo (9-12)

Tom Gates Series- Liz Pinchon (9-12)

Ketchup Clouds- Annabel Pitcher (11-14)

One- Sarah Crossman (14+)

Broken Beautiful Things- Sara Bernard (14+)

This post was written by Lucy Taylor (IGCSE English tutor at Blackhen Education).

Making Books - Everyone Can Be an Author

World Book Day is just around the corner; one of the highlights of the school calendar for teachers and students alike. Its magic is two-fold, because we all get to indulge in dressing up (I have been The Queen of Hearts, Winnie the Witch and Professor McGonagall to name but a few). We also get to share our favourite books from home and enjoy book related activities all day long.

Writing is always more enjoyable when it has a purpose, so what better purpose than creating your own book to share with friends and family? One of my students’ favourite activities on World Book Day was making a book of their own. This was always inspired by the writing of other’s, for example, a new adventure for Winnie the Witch or creating a new character in the world of Harry Potter. It culminated in the children sharing their own newly created books at the end of the day. Because the children knew this would happen, they took extra care with their presentation and writing, as well as planning an excellent story or new chapter.

Of course there is a long history of children creating their own stories and books, the most famous being the Brontës. Their fantastical stories of the lands of Angria and Gondal were written in miniscule handwriting in tiny handmade books.

Book making really gives children ownership of their work. They are author, editor (parents can be sub-editors if required), illustrator and of course, publisher. Many children even like to put a barcode and price on the back of their books. This is also a great space for a blurb. Summarising the plot without giving away the ending is a great skill to develop.

The books don’t have to be complicated to make. The simplest is a piece of folded card, with the required number of pages folded and either glued or stabled into place. For very young children, a great place to start making their own books, is writing about themselves. Writing about their family, pets and favourite food and places really engages them. 

For many years I treasured my first handmade book, “All about Me.” I made it at the age of four, with help from my teacher, lots of yellow wool hair and two blue buttons for eyes. Today, of course, you can use the computer to produce equally thrilling results and multiple copies for grandparents, for example.

Homemade books can come in many different materials and open and close in a variety of ways. Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord, is an American teacher who is passionate about bookmaking for children. Her varied and interesting projects can be found on the link below:  

                                 

http://www.makingbooks.com/freeprojects.shtml

Homemade books can come in all shapes and sizes and be about anything! For children who prefer reading and writing non-fiction, these can fit very well with a favourite topic.  In the past, we’ve made books shaped like Viking boats, cats, Tudor houses and trains. The link below shows one example of how to create a book shaped like a house.

http://www.bookmakingwithkids.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/House-Book-Instructions.pdf

                                                             

Pop-up books are great fun to make too. Because they are not much more than a card, they are not daunting for younger children. The writing needs to happen before the pop-up is made, so can work as an incentive. Parents may to help with some of the more intricate designs on the link below.

http://wp.robertsabuda.com/make-your-own-pop-ups/

So whatever your child’s interests, there is a book in them just waiting to be written. For lots more advice and ideas on helping your children to create their own books, see the link below.

http://childrensbooks.lovetoknow.com/Helping_a_Young_Child_Write_Their_Own_Book

Happy World Book Day!

This post was written by Bernadette Whiteley, one of our Key Stage 2 tutors at Blackhen Education.

Blackhen Education - 2016 Review

The New Year has well and truly started. Whilst most people use this time of year to de-clutter, stash bust or turn over a new leaf, for us at Blackhen Education, it is a time to reflect and celebrate the year that has just finished.

So what did our students do in 2016?

We ran several successful competitions, starting Valentine’s Day. This is always a popular competition and the entries were lovely.

In September, students entered our Roald Dahl Day competition. As one of our best loved authors, we feel this is always an important day to celebrate.

To celebrate Christmas, students were asked to write a ghost story or design a new sledge for Father Christmas. We had a lot of fun looking at the wonderful entries and choosing our winner.

IGCSE English Exams

In May and June our IGCSE English students sat their final exams, (despite industrial action and travel disruption). And in August we received the brilliant results. Our students had achieved 100% A-C grades, including an A* and 2 A’s.

New Courses

In September, we were very excited about launching two new English courses at Blackhen Education. A Foundation English course for 4-5 year olds and Key Stage 1 (5-6 year olds) course. Both courses were written by Karen Crichton, one of our specialist English tutors at Blackhen Education.These now complete the series of 14 courses we offer for age groups 4 –16 yrs. Students can now start with us at the age of 4 and continue up to and including IGCSE. We also launched our new one year 14+ English course. After Key Stage 3 (11-14 yrs), students can now opt for 14+ English, without sitting any exams at the end.

New Tutor

In October we welcomed Bernadette Whiteley to the team, making us up to 5 tutors. Bernadette is a KS2 ( 7-11 yrs) specialist teacher and has been an invaluable addition to Blackhen Education.

Our Students

Of course we cannot finish the year without mentioning the impressive standard of work our students produced, from the youngest aged 4 through to the eldest ages 16. Considering our students complete their Blackhen work along side their French school work ( and other countries), it is truly amazing what they produce!

Our History students continued to produce excellent work. The course, now in it’s second year, covers Anglo Saxon Britain through to post war Britain.

What does 2017 hold in stall for Blackhen Education?

Competitions

New Charity to support

IGCSE English Language & English Literature exams

Monthly blogs and more……

For more information about any of our courses, visit our website at: www.blackheneducation.com or contact me at: sue@blackheneducation.com

Aberfan - 50 years on

On Friday 21st October 1966, I was one week away from my 6th birthday and was at school at Dean Row Infant School, Cheshire. On that same day in Aberfan, South Wales, 116 children and 28 adults were to tragically lose their lives, when a huge landslide of coal slurry would engulf their school.

I was too young at the time to know anything about this tragedy, but would learn later as a young adult and teacher. I have always felt very affected by this awful event and believe it is important that it is not forgotten about.

This very powerful British Pathe video from the time, shows exactly what it was like:
                                                         

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/aberfan-slag-heap-buries-school 

                                                                  

'The tragedy happened at 0915, just as the pupils of Pantglas Juniour School were about to embark on their first lessons. Some children were filing into classrooms ready for register. 
                                                                      

In total, 144 people were killed - 116  of them children. The last body was recovered nearly a week after the disaster  happened.
                                                                                   

                                                                   

The NCB (National Coal Board) said abnormal rainfall had caused the coal waste to move.
The inquiry of Tribunal later found that the NCB was wholly to blame and should pay compensation for loss and personal injuriies.
The NCB and Treasury refused to accept full financial responsibility for the tragedy, so the Aberfan Disaster Fund had to contribute £150,000 towards removing the remaining tip that overlooked the village.
This was fully repaid in 1997, by the then Secretary of State for Wales, Ron Davies.' BBC On This Day. 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/21/newsid_2705000/2705335.stm

                                                                       

Here are some writing ideas for children to learn about Aberfan:

1) Imagine you are a newspaper reporter at the time of the tragedy. Write an article for your paper, explaining to your readers what has happened.

2) Imagine you have been asked to interview one of the mothers who's child had died on that day. What questions would you ask them? What answers would they give?
                                                               

3) Imagine you are one of the children who was lucky enough to escape the disaster. Maybe you didn't go to school that day? Maybe you were late to school? Maybe you were lucky enough to have been rescued? Write a diary entry for that morning of 21st October 1966.

For more teaching resources about Aberfan follow the links below:

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/aberfan-50-years-on-11395452 

http://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/wl2-t-42-aberfan-powerpoint

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/aberfan-the-story-of-a-disaster-6091597

For more information about any of our online English courses, visit our website at: www.blackheneducation.com or contact us for a Parent Pack at: sue@blackheneducation.com

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children - Creative Writing Ideas

                                                                        

I heard about this book a couple of weeks ago and have been fascinated with it ever since. I particularly love the use of  spooky, old photographs in the book and as a teacher, the idea of a home or school for 'peculiar' children.

So what is the book about?
A teenage boy (Jacob) travels to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he finds the ruins of an old house; Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. Who were these children? Why were they there? Why were they 'peculiar'?

This is the link for the offical trailer to the film and it will give you a little taste of what is to come!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAdpJw-MM-M 

I then began to think about how the book and it's wonderful photographs could be used as starting points for creative writing. In particular, writing prompts for Key Stage 3 (11-14 year olds) students.

Here are some ideas:

1) Using photographs from the book as stimuli.:

These three photographs come from the book. I won't tell you who they are, I will leave that up to you to imagine. What are their names? Why are they at Miss Peregrine's home? Why are the two younger children dressed as clowns? Where have they come from? What happens to them all?


2) Using your own photographs as stimuli:

Here are three old photographs from my own collection. I can already see a story evolving. Who are the family on the left? What has happened to them? How old is the house? Where is the house? Is it empty? Who are three girls? What are their names? Have they been to school? Or are they going to school?

 

 

3) Using the set of the house as a starting point for descriptive writing.

Imagine you have arrived at the house for the first time. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? Who else is there? How do you feel?


4) Imagine you have been asked to interview Miss Peregrine. What questions would you ask her? How might she reply? Are you nervous? Is she scary?
                                                                 

5) Write a diary entry as if you are Jacob. Write about the first time you lay eyes on Miss Peregrine, or one of the 'peculiar' children. What time of day or night do you meet them?How do you feel? How do they react to you? Do you want to run away from them? Are they friendly?

6) Check out the offical website of the author Ransom Riggs, to find out more about him, his books and read the opening chapter from Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children.

http://www.ransomriggs.com/

All of these ideas can be done at home and will help your child with their English writing skills.

If you want to take it further, you can use one of the central themes to start a discussion or a prompt for a piece of non fiction writing.

The book has a lot of deeper messages within it, two of these being:
1) Tolerance/ tolerating people who are different.
2) Persecution / treatment of Jews during World War ( Jacob's Polish grandfather escapes the Jews during WWII).

I would love to see any of your work that comes from these ideas. It might be a piece of writing or a picture, but feel free to send it to us at: sue@blackheneducation.com

For more information about any of our online English courses, please visit our website:
www.blackheneducation.com or email me at: sue@blackheneducation.com

Writing Books for Children - Susan Keefe

                                                      

What’s so special about the Toby’s Tails series of children’s  books?

I am Susan Keefe, the author of the Toby’s Tails series of children’s books. I was born in Essex in the UK, had an idyllic childhood, lots of animals, and from an early age I had an affinity with animals and a passionate love of them. My parents and paternal grandparents encourage my love of everything living, and my fondest memories are of walking with my granddad round fields and lakes learning country lore from him.

So did I have a career in journalism before writing my books? No, just a passion for animals and a deep longing to share with others, the childhood I had been so lucky to have. I believe fervently that many children in this modern world miss out on the simple joys of nature because they are too plugged into their iPod from an early age, and parents, desperate to earn more money don’t have the time to spend with them. Gone are the days when we made do and gave our children time rather than possessions.

In 2006 my husband Michael and I moved to the Pays de la Loire region of France. Late 2008 lost Czar, one of my two Golden Retrievers. Then a few weeks later in January 2009 we had to take our lady goat to say hello to her boyfriend. As we stopped the car, there peering out from the gate were a family of Border Collies. Is there such a thing as love at first sight, yes there is! One look at those liquid hazel eyes and I knew I just had to have him. By the time the goats had said hello we had agreed to buy our Toby and pick him up in two weeks.

So, as Toby grew up our bond became inseparable, we spent 24/7 with each other. Then one day, whilst Michael took a nap I sat at the computer and quite out of the blue started my very first book, Toby’s Tails. Michael was right from the start very encouraging, and Toby is always wrapped around my chair, as near as possible to me. The words just flew and soon the book, which chronicles Toby’s first year, his training, the animals and wildlife he encounters and life experiences was compete. Of course every book takes lots of editing and there is a lot of work from the book being ‘finished’ until it is ready for publishing. All the photos in the books are taken by me and are in colour, something I feel is very important, and the animals are our own.

As I have become known as a writer locally my French friends asked me why the books are not available in French. I realised they had a point, and now there are eight books in the Toby’s Tails series, and many are available in French and a couple in Spanish as well.

The latest book is one of two of the books which have been especially produced to raise money for charities. Toby’s Tails – Toby Visits Chats du Quercy (Toby et Compagnie- Toby rend visite - Chats du Quercy).

All the books have morals very subtly added. They all teach children about not only understanding and caring for animals, but also about the wonders of the natural world which are around them, and can be seen and enjoyed every day. One book, Toby’s Tails – Saying Goodbye to Lucky tackles the sensitive subject of the loss of a pet, however, it too has an uplifting message.

The books are available from all Amazon sites in Paperback and Kindle format :

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Susan-Keefe/e/B007DV5UX6/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1. 

Many of the reviews for them mention that the reader now looks on animals in a different way – music to my ears, as my message has been understood.

Toby and I are happy to attend events and I can be contacted for personalised copies either via the Toby’s Tails Children’s Books Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TobysTailsChildrensBooks/ or the contact form at the Toby’s Tails website http://www.tobys-tails.com/

                                 

                                                                          Susan Keefe

ONLINE IGCSE ENGLISH - Writing and Reading techniques.

 

                                                                     

The following reading and writing techniques that are commonly used in UK schools in preparation for GCSE & IGCSE exams. Using them will shape your writing and help towards gaining a higher grade.

Writing Devices

PAF (Purpose, Audience, Format)

This stands for:

Purpose- Why are you writing/ or the person who has written the text doing so? When you/ or they put pen to paper, what is the point? Is it to explain, describe, inform, persuade, argue or advise?

Audience- Who is the writing directed at?

Is it a formal audience? For example a Head teacher, a Prime minister, a Monarch, an Employer, a Newspaper editor etc. The tone needs to be polite and respectful.

Or is it an informal audience? The language can be friendly and appropriate to speaking to someone that you are familiar with. The letter may contain the odd slang term (but not swearing) if appropriate.

Format- How is the writing laid out on the page? 

If it is a speech, then it should have an opening address/ welcome and a closing statement. If it is a diary entry it should have a date and reflect it is a diary. If it is an advert it should have persuasive devices and message. If it is an explaining text then it should have imperatives and quite possibly be in a list.

 PALL (Purpose, Audience, Language, Lay-out)

This is the more advanced version of PAF. It is the same, apart from instead of format we say Lay-out. The extra L is for Language.

Language- What kind of descriptive language is used in the text? There could be: Alliteration, facts, onomatopoeia, repetition, rhetorical questions, exaggeration, statistics and themes (remember as AFORREST).

PEE ( Point, Evidence, Explain)

When writing an answer regarding a text you need to support your opinions with quotes from the text. You should do it like this:

Point- Make a point.

Evidence- Use a quote from the text to support the point.

Explain- Now you explain how the quote backs up the point you have made.

For example:

When answering a question about the extract ‘Touching the Void’ such as-

How does the writer’s choice of language show that he has been seriously hurt?

(Point) We know that Joe has been badly injured from his fall by the language he uses. (Evidence) ‘Then pain flooded down my thigh — a fierce burning fire coming down the inside of my thigh, seeming to ball in my groin, building and building until I cried …’. (Explanation) He has used an emotive word such as pain which lets the reader know he has been injured. He also uses a metaphor to describe the pain as ‘fire’. This image lets us know that he is in seriously injured.

 TWIST  

 This is a device used to describe and analyse poetry.

T-What is its theme?

W- What words stand out? This is the poet’s choice of vocabulary.

I- What kind of Imagery (mental pictures) have been used and how? Similes, metaphors, alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia etc?

S- What is the poem’s Structure? This could be comments on how many stanzas (verses) have been used, stand alone sentences, rhyming couplets etc.

T- What is the Tone of the poem? Is it happy and optimistic? Is it sad? Does it feel angry or humourous?

Structuring an extended response

Essay responses are where the bulk of the marks on an exam paper are.

Students need to be confident in three areas:

1. Content- What the text is about? Plot? Characters? Themes?

2. Method- How to write an extended answer (see below)

3. Timing- Be aware of the time limit and don’t run out of time.

(All of these above points will be covered in the course and practised in the final ‘revision units’ leading up to the exam in the 2^nd year).

Examiners are looking for students who can lay-out their work correctly as well as answer a question. The way to structure an essay response is such:

Introduction

Create a focused opening which answers the question and may list key points that you will raise in your response.

Main body

Use PEE! You should aim to make between 3 and 5 points in your response.

For each point you should aim to include 2 pieces of evidence from the text (quotes). Typically a point, with two quotes and an explanation showing how this evidence backs up what you say, can be fitted into a paragraph.

Conclusion

This is where you finish the essay.

To create a strong conclusion you should summarise your key points and evaluate. This is where you basically comment on the writer and how they have met the point/s that the question has asked. What was their reason for doing this eg why did they show a character in a particular way or what message were they trying to get across?

Reading techniques:

When tackling a reading exercise think of the following:

Pre-scan

Read the question. Highlight key words in it. For example:

In what ways does the writer Saki create a slightly chilling atmosphere in ‘The Open Window’?

You would highlight ‘ways’, ‘create’, ‘chilling’ & ‘atmosphere’.

This is there to direct you to what the task requires.

Scan

You now read the text focused on what the question wants. Remember the key words from the pre-scan. Let your eyes run quickly over several lines, left to right. Some people find having a ruler or piece of paper under the lines help to focus on the text, a sentence at a time.

When you find what you want.

Stop.

Re-read the line again and make a note of what you have found eg descriptive word etc.

Continue to read.

Finish scanning.

Check your list.

Have you found all that you were looking for?

Now it’s time to tackle the question armed with what you have found.

This blog post was written by Andy Mackay, Head of IGCSE English at Blackhen Education.

If you would like more information about our IGCSE English courses, please feel free to contact us at: sue@blackheneducation.com