Author Archives: Sharon Wood

About Sharon Wood

Sharon Wood, aka NuttySupplier, launched the forum at SupplyBag.co.uk in 2005 whilst on supply. Having worked as a primary teacher for too many years, I chose supply teaching as a career, in order to achieve a good work / life balance.

Year 3 Emergency Lesson Plans for Numeracy

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 3 Numeracy are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

Block A – Counting, partitioning and calculating

  • Throwing dice, adding/subtracting numbers mentally and quickly, extend to throwing 2 dice, using digits to form one number, and throwing a third to form another number (e.g. a 6 and a 2 thrown = 62, then a 4 thrown, so 62 + or – 4 mentally) then writing them down, extend written to 2 and 3 digit numbers.
  • Invite children to call out numbers between 11 and 99/999 (2 or 3 digit depending on ability) and write on the board. Firstly get the children to read them out loud to a partner, then cover them up, you read them, and ask the children to write them in digits/letters, reveal the numbers and ask the children to order them, carry on partitioning them or rounding them, or repeat above activities with different sets of numbers.
  • Number story: tell children a simple story (child goes to the zoo for the day) and include prices and distances. Write 1- and 2-step word problems for children to calculate based on story.
  • Explain orally and written how you know 63 is in the 3 x table, how you know 102 follows on from 99 in the same table. Change table and problems.
  • Jumping to the right/left of a HTU grid: multiplying and dividing numbers by 10 and 100. Jump physically! Take hops on paper.

Block B – Securing number facts, understanding shape

  • Introduce a right angle, and ask children to collect right angles from around the classroom. Record findings in book, draw and label: cupboard door, 4 right angles etc. Then show angles greater/smaller than 90° and repeat as above.
  • Give number problems (division using known multiple facts) and work on estimating first, and then checking. Do same for add/subtraction problems.
  • Number story: tell children a simple story (child goes to the zoo for the day) and include prices and distances. Write 1- and 2-step word problems for children to calculate based on story.
  • Number machine: firstly give input and operation (6 goes in, machine *2, children to answer 12 is the output) change operation, then give input, and output, children to work through all 4 operations finding possible functions.
  • Recognising reflective symmetry, start with letters, numbers, move onto simple shapes, then onto seeing symmetry in classroom objects, faces (not symmetrical!)

Block C – Handling data and measures

  • Telling the time… draw two clock faces on the board, draw hands on for one time, ask children to read it, and then invite one to draw hands 15/25 etc. minutes later. Children to draw simple clocks in own book and either write time by side, or draw another showing set interval.
  • Sorting data into lists, tables, diagrams, frequency and bar charts, data could include colour and size of pencil cases, school bags, favourite pies/authors etc.
  • Give children a question they have to answer by first collecting data, i.e. what is the most popular after-school club in this class? Once children have presented the information appropriately, then ask them to challenge each other with different questions based on the data, i.e. how many more children like wildlife club than choir?
  • Give children 5 (hypothetical if necessary) objects, ask them to record estimates of measurement… they are to choose how they would measure and what units to use, i.e. an apple could be weighed in grams, and measured in cm, a jug of lemonade in ml. Give distances too, your house to school, your desk to the teachers, London to Florida.
  • Decide a given, for example your school to Alton Towers is 26km, and then convert to metres. Their desk to your desk is 130cm, convert to metres/mm.

Block D – Calculating, measuring and understanding shape

  • Look at the times tables that they know, and work out the inverse, division tables, that they didn’t know they knew! Give some division questions based on the tables they know.
  • Unit fractions of numbers and quantities… a half, a third, a tenth, depending on ability, of marbles in a bag (6, 10, 12, 16 marbles in total) are which colour? Draw own bags, and set questions for friends.
  • Multiple triangles, a multiple and two factors placed at each angle of a triangle, children to draw them, e.g. 12, 3 and 4, then explore number sentences which can be made from them (hint: there’s 3*4 = 12, 4*3 = 12, and then the inverse of each.)
  • Draw simple bar charts on board, give children for example how many cars were red, and they have to fill in label on number of cars axis. Draw simple scales on board, temperature, kitchen scales, with pointers on and ask for reading. Children to draw own scales to questions friends.
  • Direct a friend, blindfold, from one side of the room to another, using vocab discussed (position, direction, movement language.)

Block E – Securing number facts, relationships and calculating

  • Unit fractions of quantities, drinking water bottles on Sports Day, 1l, 500ml, how much did I drink if I drank 1/2, 1/4, how much left if I drank 1/10?
  • Estimate proper fractions of shapes, numbers (pictorial, e.g. egg boxes, bars/pieces of chocolate.) Use squared paper in books to draw bars of chocolate with given number of pieces (6, 10, 12, 15, 16 for example) and shade in given fractions. Give 1/5, before giving 3/5 of same amount.
  • Ask all the children to work out the same simple sum, perhaps 13 * 5, and collate different methods used. Children to explore other questions using methods used by peers.
  • Give children first 3 or 4 numbers in sequences, they have to discover possible rule for sequence, then make up their own. Try +2, +5, -3, *2 +1.
  • Class trip to the zoo story, +, -, * and / by two digit numbers: 120 slices of pizza, how many each (look at remainders in context), 24 tickets to buy at £3.50 each (look at different methods the children come up with), two buses, 53 on one, 37 on the other, how many altogether etc.

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on Year 3 Emergency Lesson Plans for Science. Check out our resources area here too.

Year 6 Emergency Lesson Plans for Literacy

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 6 Literacy are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

Autumn Term

Word Level Work

  • Gather a collection of proper nouns and investigate their origins using dictionaries and encyclopaedias.
  • Look at more complex suffixes, prefixes and roots. Find poly-syllabic words and break them down to better understand meaning and origin.

Sentence Level Work

  • Write a set of instructions, a non-chronological report or similar on the board and ask children to investigate ways in which it could be punctuated. Look at use of colons, semi-colons, brackets and dashes.

Spring Term

Word Level Work

  • Build a bank of connectives.
  • Build a bank of alternatives to ‘said’. Give a sentence to improve i.e. “Get out of my way,” said Kojic

Sentence Level Work

  • Contracting sentences: note making, editing and summary – find out what current humanities topic is, read a passage from a relevant source, ask them to take notes while you read it, then to summarize the passage (could be in bullet point or paragraph form.)

Summer Term

Word Level Work

  • Invent mnemonics for irregular and difficult spellings.

Sentence Level Work

  • Study proverbs and write their meanings.

Text Level Work

Narrative / Plays / Scripts

  • Write a story with two different narrators. More able alone, one paragraph (sub-titled?) for each, able and less able in pairs, think of a story with two characters (parent/teacher and child perhaps? Bully/Victim) and each take a part to write same story, compile as intertwined paragraphs at end.
  • Give the children 1 story title, and ask them to plan five stories using it, using the same characters. Example titles: Lost!; We’re On Our Way!; Shipwrecked!; Track Fever; Mysterious Mummies.
  • Read the opening to a story, and ask children to prepare as a script using stage directions etc.
  • Write the blurb for the back cover of a novel they’d like to write/their auto-biography.
  • Write a flashback story, secret door, key, black hole etc.
  • Write an alternative ending to a well-know story (i.e. myth, fairy tale.)
  • Produce a writer’s commentary on the opening/first chapter of their current reading book

Non Fiction

  • Give each table a different audience but the same non-fiction title, e.g. Life in the Blitz, compare the style the different texts are written in, language, format etc.
  • Discuss current point of debate (i.e. local toxic waste plant (use local/current affairs knowledge) or imaginary school scenario (Head teacher decides to ban/bring in uniforms for teachers) and write a balanced report.
  • Prepare a CV for their hero, research where available, for job as Prime Minister.
  • Write a report in a journalistic style based on a local/current issue such as dogs fouling the park. Present a balanced and ethical report that includes interviews from different perspectives.
  • Give invitation to Hermione to Wizard’s Ball, ask to prepare same for a professor of wizardry, concentrating on differences between formal and informal text used.

Poetry

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on Year 6 Emergency Lesson Plans for Numeracy. Check out our resources area here too.

Year 5 Emergency Lesson Plans for Literacy

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 5 Literacy are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

 

Autumn Term

Word Level Work

  • Investigate plurals, find your own rules (much better than being given rules, as long as they’re correct!)
  • Investigate meanings and spellings of words with prefixes: auto, bi, tele and circum.

Sentence Level Work

  • Give sentences in direct/reported speech, to convert to reported/direct speech (she said, “I am eating!” to she said (that) she was eating)
  • Give a list, and ask to place a colon, make their own lists (top ten authors/pop stars etc.) and place colons as necessary.
  • Look at the conventions for writing dialogue in narrative using current reading books, separate lines and commas etc.

Spring Term

Word Level Work

  • Collect onomatopoeic words and present them to class
  • See how many different ways the sound for example ‘a’ as in May, can be written

Sentence Level Work

  • Write a formal invitation on the board, and ask the children to change it to an informal one… and decorate!
  • Explore ambiguities e.g. Heavy Plant Crossing, they are cooking apples, police shot man with knife, Baby Changing Room, and Danger Swimmers Keep Out

Summer Term

Word Level Work

  • Spell unstressed vowels in polysyllabic words, e.g. company, portable, interest, description, carpet, freedom, extra
  • Investigate and create rule (better than being given one) for modifying words ending in e, when adding ing/ful/ly
  • Compile class dictionary for own slang words and give own definitions, e.g. mate, (it) wrecks, nectar.

Sentence Level Work

  • Use connectives other than and, then, but, to link clauses in sentences. Find in own previous work (collect lots of connectives before they start) and re-write sentence on today’s page.

Text Level Work

Narrative / Plays / Scripts

  • Add a new character/scene to a Roald Dahl/Lucy Daniels/Jeremy Strong book, using the style of the author (i.e. a talking animal in a Roald Dahl book)
  • Write a short story (pref. myth/fable) on the board, and ask them to review and edit it (include misspellings, poor language selection etc. Make sure you clearly show that these are the parts to rework.)
  • Write a well-known story from someone else’s point of view, i.e. The Wolf in Three Little Pigs/Little Red Riding Hood
  • Discuss known proverbs in class, a bird in the hand, too many cooks etc., and choose one to write as a story in fable/myth/legend style, to demonstrate it’s meaning.

Non Fiction

  • Write an incident letter to the police from two different people’s points of view, i.e. victim and eye-witness.
  • Write to the local MP regarding e.g. poor lighting outside school, placing poop scoop bins at edge of park etc.
  • Write instructional texts, i.e. How to Use a Computer: Ideal Text for Teachers!

Poetry

  • Read a poem with a definite theme (i.e. football) and ask them to change the theme by substituting words (i.e. to horse riding)
  • Read a poem with a definite structure, explore structure and ask them to add a verse.
  • Convey feelings/moods in a poem, structure given by teacher. Shaped into a frown/smile?
  • Choral and performance poems, relate Christmas carols, Albert and the Lion, rap, pop music, nursery rhymes. Children to perform in small groups at end of lesson.

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on Year 5 Emergency Lesson Plans for Numeracy. Check out our resources area here too.

Year 4 Emergency Lesson Plans for Literacy

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 4 Literacy are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

Word Level Work

  • Game split 2-syllable words containing double consonants in the middle, kettle, bubble, common, rabbit. Randomly write the two halves somewhere on the board, and the children have to draw a line to match the pairs, write them on their whiteboards, or tell a friend.
  • Write to/too/two or they’re/their/there in sentences correctly.
  • Practice handwriting!
  • Vocabulary extension: give sentences with common vocab. in, e.g. good, got, nice, then, and ask children to improve them.
  • Practice range of presentation skills, design a poster with capitals for header, print for labels and cartoon captions and different fonts for emphasis. Poster to advertise new club in school?

Sentence Level Work

  • Create a class/group list of words to use instead of walk/went e.g. crawled, hobbled etc.
  • Look through current reading books to identify possessive apostrophes, and write without apostrophe i.e. Jake’s hat was red. > Jake owned a hat which was red.
  • Look at use of apostrophe for contraction. Give examples on board and ask children to find others in reading material.
  • Make a list of punctuation used in your reading book/non-fiction book from bookcase. Make a glossary on how and when to use.
  • Present verbally an argument between two friends, using connectives to structure it, i.e. if you… then…, on the other hand, when you… finally, so that means…

Narrative / Plays / Scripts

  • Write a setting on board while children watch. Describe a fantastical or horrific place. Ask children to write their own. Deny them the use of certain common words associated with that place, but investigate more figurative language and adjectives. Explore the five senses in the setting.
  • Look at three different ways of planning a story… storyboard (page cut into 4/6), brainstorming, linear sequence like a film strip or pathway (one setting to next, what happens along the way i.e. earth to planet Zog)
  • Re-write the ending of a well-known story, change the reader’s opinion of the main character, e.g. the bad guy was actually trying to do good, offers apology, ‘good’ guy doesn’t accept and is bitter.
  • Write two character opposite descriptions, emotionally provocative, i.e. Dracula and victim, evil/good twin
  • Write a play script using well-known story, i.e. fairy tale, Aesop’s fable, myth/legend (Hare and The Tortoise could be a good one!)
  • Write a story based in a castle, featuring knights and princesses.
  • Write a character description of an alien, and describe his home planet.

Non Fiction

  • Write a review of the latest gadget/game for a magazine.
  • Write to the Head Teacher to persuade them to get 10 of the latest PS2/IPOD/fav. gadget of the class into school.
  • Give bulleted points on board to children regarding their current humanities topic. They then write out in two paragraphs and find information to flesh it out from other sources.
  • Design an advert/jingle for a new product, summer fruits drink? Healthy new sweets? Space travel holidays?
  • Write a newspaper front cover, include headline story and an advertisement. Headline story to be something the children are familiar with or can identify with, include one interview (tiger escapes from zoo and terrorizes school, 3 little pigs survive wolf torture.)

Poetry

  • Write limericks, explore structure, rhyming patterns and humour first.
  • Teacher to write a poem on board, children refine and polish it, use thesaurus, reorganise structure.
  • Write a poem to describe an atmosphere/setting, 3 adverbs per line.

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index or visit the supply teacher downloads page.

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on Year 4 Emergency Lesson Plans for Numeracy. Check out our resources area here too.

About Us

by Sharon Wood aka NuttySupplier

I taught full-time in KS2 for a number of years in the south of England before relocating back to the north. After taking my own class, implementing initiative after initiative, moving classrooms and year groups 85% of academic years and running an average 6 clubs a week, I’d had enough! I took a few years out of teaching completely, explaining to friends and family that at the tender age of £$%* that I’d retired.

I had done a little supply in the south, as part of a return to work programme after a period of illness. However, this was undertaken in schools known to me, where the children still saw me as a teacher at their school. It was nothing like the world I was thrown into when I agreed to help out a local school for a few days during a particularly bad viral attack on their teaching staff after a couple of years back north!

Despite my initial reluctance at stepping back into a classroom, I ended a job contract in business facilitation in favour of doing more supply, and terminated contracts with various clients along with my self-employment status in favour of doing even more.  It was a great work/life balance, and just what I needed as I had bought a house to renovate.  For many years, I juggled contracts with schools in the area, from day-long to year-long, all temporary, all part-time, just how I like them!

I don’t do any teaching now due to a compromised immune system, but I am now a very proud mummy, and I also own TheSupplyTeacher.com.

SupplyBag - The essential resource for supply teachers

 www.SupplyBag.co.uk

SupplyBag.co.uk was borne out of the forum within this site. NuttySupplier set up the Supply Teacher Forum on 19th November 2005 which enjoys many visits from friends old and new, daily. SupplyBag.co.uk is an attempt to formalise and categorise the vast amount of information contained within the forum, and present it in a way which makes it more easily accessible to the new visitor.

Advertisements placed on SupplyBag.co.uk are not endorsements by myself or SupplyBag.co.uk.

Remembering Children’s Names

by Sharon Wood

Supply teachers can have a hard time. A lot is expected of you as you walk into a strange room, in a strange location, full of strangers! There are many ways to help your day in the alien environment run more smoothly and effectively, and learning the names of the aliens, enhancing communication with them, is one of the best. Read on for top tips.

I have found over the years that nothing leaves a better impression with support staff (and therefore teaching staff!) than me having learnt all the children’s names by first break. I’ve got it down to a fine art now.

It makes an enormous difference to the effectiveness of my voice when I am able to tag the name of a child onto the end of a sentence. Teaching becomes easier, therefore I am more enthusiastic, therefore the children are more enthusiastic, and more learning takes place.

If you know the names of the children, marking work at the end of the lesson/day becomes much more effective too. Use the child’s name when marking, and remark on how well they contributed in the class discussion etc.

Learning Children's Names

Below is a garbled list of things that I do, some stand by themselves, some needing support from the others.

  • Arrive early enough not only to read the lesson plans for the day, but also early enough to get a grip on the classroom layout and to find and use all evidence of children’s names within it.
  • Collect the register early, and read it, and read it again.
  • Look at the names of the children on coat hooks/locker doors/drawers.
  • Look at the star charts, who has the most/least, and do they have teams/table names? It’s easy to learn the group/table names before the children come in and use them effectively.
  • Often younger children will have photographs on the wall, especially in the autumn term, with their names, giving, for example, a character trait/favourite book.
  • Aim to learn the names of five children as they walk through the door, introduce yourself, ask them their name, and commit it to memory (use alphabet/numerical help, physical attributes etc.)
  • Aim to learn another five, and revise those first five, while the children settle down in their chairs. These next five must be seated apart from each other – i.e. one from each table. If you arm yourself with the name of one child per table, you can then address each table separately – ‘Can the children continuing their conversation above me on Rita’s table, please stop now!’ To get a hold of this second lot of names, look at the drawers/coat hooks etc., that they go to, and ask to look at their book as they settle down at their table.
  • Listen to the children. You will hear another five before you take the register just by listening to the first ten children you have addressed. They will say things like ‘I haven’t got my reading log, I left it at Tom’s house last night,’ whilst pointing in Tom’s direction. 
    [bctt tweet="Top tips for learning children's names? #supplychat"]
  • Do not pressure yourself into learning any more during the register. Simply use that time to confirm the 15 you now hold in your head. Ask the children to put their hand up when you call their name, before they answer you. Look directly at the child and, after they have said ‘Good Morning Miss,’ you say ‘Good Morning Joe.’ Take in the face of that child now sat in their correct place.
  • Repeat the child’s name every time you talk to them, until you know you know it.
  • When you’re going round the class, red pen in hand, look at the front of the child’s book when you get to them, it’s always got their name on… and use it while you’re talking to them about their work.
  • Test yourself, and let the children know that that’s what you’re doing. At break time/lining up for assembly, let them know you’re about to give yourself a test, get them to stand behind their chairs, and they can only line up if you know their name. They love this game! Make an extra effort to communicate with the children you couldn’t name, after assembly.

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on free lesson plans for literacy. Check out our resources area here too.

Year 3 Emergency Lesson Plans for Literacy

Click to download all 289 of my Key Stage 2 supply teacher emergency lesson plans as a PDF.

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans for Year 3 Literacy are only to be used by supply teachers who are faced with no planning or easily accessible resources. Also to be used following the guidance notes here.

Word Level Work

  • Split words given into syllables, clap out with a friend and write with slashes/dashes, dash-es, slash/es.
  • Find words with -le on the end, investigate the occurrence of double consonants before the -le.
  • Practice handwriting, ascenders and descenders.
  • Ping-pong spelling: Children collect own mis-spelt and corrected words on scraps of paper in groups of three. One reads a word aloud, shows the other two for ‘n’ seconds, hides it, and then the two children take it in turns to say the next letter.
  • Explore a dictionary, where do certain letters fall (‘s’ towards the end, ‘e’ close to the beginning) and play games (Find The Word…) based on using dictionary.
  • Identify as many short words as you can inside other, longer words, your name, school name, words given, recognise features and syllables to aid spelling.
  • On board, write words to be contracted, could not, and go through use of apostrophe for contraction, then challenge children to contract all words on board, couldn’t.
  • Collect synonyms for shouted/said/walked/ran and improve the power of sentences given.
  • Find in a dictionary some simple words and explore different meanings etc., form, wave, place.

Sentence Level Work

  • Find in own reading books examples of verbs used other than common verbs, chased instead of ran etc.
  • Identify speech marks in dialogue and punctuation conventions associated, i.e. capital letters to start direct speech, commas used etc. Write dialogue of own.
  • Collect words for colours, sizes and moods in groups. Present as a ‘word board’ for use by rest of class.
  • When to use capital letters. Look in current reading books to find all examples.
  • Sequencing, give them a chronologically based set of sentences, i.e. getting up to arriving at school, and order/connect using first, then, after, meanwhile, etc.

Text Level Work

Narrative / Plays / Scripts

  • Take a book the class have read together, or a well-known story, and plan for it to be a 3/4/5-part mini-TV series… what happens in each episode?
  • Give a basic sentence describing an action, ‘Tom moved closer to the door,’ and ask the children in pairs to write three more sentences, the first will help build tension, the second set the scene a little more, and the third create suspense, thicken the atmosphere/add to the mood.
  • Collect from reading books and experience story openings and endings, use in re-telling own simple, four sentence story.
  • Re-write endings of traditional tales, i.e. Three Little Pigs
  • Character description: 2 parts, physical and non-physical description. Present as police profile, reference for a job, wanted poster, postcard to friends about someone you met on holiday, letter to class about new teacher in new school.
  • Brainstorm words other than basic ones (deny the use of mummy and pyramid in Egyptian story for example) for a topic before writing an opening (setting/character introduction), using three of new words found.
  • Write descriptive setting of the quiet area in the school playground, use all five senses.
  • Write a letter to your favourite author explaining why you like their books.

Non Fiction

  • Design an information leaflet for a local visitor attraction/tourist information for your village.
  • Book Reviews: look at what they would like to be included, and design your own format, then complete for your favourite book.
  • Writing instructions: think of alternative instructions such as how to win the lottery, how to

Poetry

  • Write an A-Z about their school for the Year 2 children arriving in September.
  • Shape poems of musical instruments, the sounds they make and effect on the ear/brain/soul.
  • Alliteration poem, animals coming off the Ark, slithering snakes etc.
  • Calligrams, where the handwriting/font aids the poem… LARGE, bold

 

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans Index or visit the supply teacher downloads page.

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on Year 3 Emergency Lesson Plans for Numeracy. Check out our resources area here too.

Proofreading and Evaluation Service for Job Applications

***Please note: service currently not available***

About to send out a job application? Whatever you submit needs to be the best it can be. Have yours checked over by a critical, experienced eye.

  • Helping you to make a great first impression with prospective schools.
  • Correcting spelling and grammar errors.
  • Suggesting any changes that could be made to your text, ensuring you have highlighted your strengths.
  • Reading with a school’s typical wish-list in mind, whether you’re looking for day-to-day supply work or a more permanent teaching position.

Recent feedback:

“Thanks for the great critique.  Very thorough and well worth the cost.” D1

“Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Would definitely recommend your service… I am much happier with supporting statement, just wish I’d done this earlier.” D2

“I just wanted to offer my feedback of your service and tell you that I am very impressed with how useful your comments were. I previously used the TES review service and paid £60 to find that their comments were not very useful and nor as indepth as yours so thank you.” T1

“Thank you so much for your feedback I have just glanced through it and actually looking forward to making those changes tomorrow… I was worried I would feel negative after receiving a critique however just reading through your comments I feel positive about the changes I can make and hope they make a good impact on my next teaching application so thank you very much.” C1

Typical Costs

Initial submission

Covering letters and Supporting Statements –

First page: £12
Each additional page: £6

Curriculum Vitae and County/School’s own Application Form –

First page: £8
Each additional page: £4

Re-submission (for checking after making any amendments)

Covering letters and Supporting Statements –

Per page: £3.50

Curriculum Vitae and County/School’s own Application Form –
Per page: £2.50

Please contact me with your specific requirements.
Discounts available for multiple orders.
Processed by email within 3 working days of receipt.

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on Prospero teaching. Check out our resources area here too.

Out of Time: The Secret of the Swan – Gill Jepson

Out of Time: The Secret of the Swan
Article submitted by Gill Jepson, Teacher and Author

What could a 15th Century Monk, an Errand Boy from 1934 and a trio of kids from the present have in common?
Rebecca’s life takes a dramatic turn one summer. When she loses her beloved Granddad, she takes solace in the places they used to go. Exploring one of them, Furness Abbey, with her friends leads to adventures beyond their wildest dreams. The youngsters find themselves in the midst of a mystery, as old as the abbey itself. Along the way they encounter the ghost of Cistercian monk and a 1930s errand boy, who reveal the secrets of the abbey treasure. The friends must race against time to find the lost treasure before their evil adversary; the mysterious Mr. Steele can find it.
Out of Time is a children’s fantasy novel, blending past and present, magic and time travel; woven together by a life experience and the emotions that go with it. It vividly describes lives in other times and attempts to transport the reader back in time.
Gill Jepson is a primary teacher with 20 years experience. She has created a fascinating new adventure for children aged 9 and upwards by taking elements of history and fact and blending them into an exciting tale.
The book has been received well in schools and is an excellent resource for literacy with many strong cross curricular links for Key Stage 2. It promotes imagination and creative writing and is an excellent class reading book and can be used for guided reading. There are many elements in the book which can be used to stimulate work, for example inventing characters, using imagery and descriptive language, creating settings and plot development. The themes of the book easily translate to other curriculum areas such as art, design and technology, history and environment.

Out of Time: The Secret of the Swan Gill Jepson

Gill’s book is available from Amazon.

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on overseas teachers teaching in Britain. Check out our resources area here too.

Daisy the Donkey’s First Fare – Russ Brown

Article submitted by Russ Brown, Teacher and Author

Daisy did not fit in, she was the only donkey in Saul’s taxi stable; every other taxi was a camel, long-legged, long-eyelashed and beautifully golden. It was for that reason that Daisy had never had a fare. She was short, scruffy furred and grey. People who took Saul’s taxis were the rich and famous of Jerusalem, and they wanted to be seen travelling in style. A gorgeous camel was perfect for these red carpet A-listers, but unfortunately for her, Daisy was not.
She desperately wants to repay her owner Saul, for all his kindness, but nobody wants to travel on a donkey, or do they?

“A wonderful traditional Christmas tale told with a modern twist, a must for children of all ages.” Barnes & Noble Childrens Review.

Russ Brown had experience of many, many story books and all too often found them too closed and allowed little to expand upon. One day while given the task of teaching the Christmas story to a mixed infant class he decided to write his own! A wonderful modern twist on a traditional tale with plenty of scope for further work.

As a supply teacher Russ Brown had plenty of places to try out his work and this book has been piloted with 12 primary schools and the response has always been the same “Brilliant, perfectly pitched for primary children”. Teachers saw the many ways in which the story can promote making choices and being kind, this is a proven story that children enjoy over and over, whether read alone or shared. This beautifully illustrated book creates an added depth to the story and shows an age old story in a completely modern re-telling. Kindle supports this book in full colour illustration.

Christmas planning will soon be here and this story is a must!

This book is a must for any supply teacher wishing to build up a bank of resources they can use with confidence at the drop of a hat, with any primary year group.
Russ can be contacted directly through www.russbrownauthor.co.uk or @russbrownauthor on twitter. If you contact him he has been known to send a complete set of teacher based resources linked to the book for free – meaning your planning is done for you!

Daisy the Donkey's First Fare - Russ Brown

Russ’s book, Daisy the Donkey’s First Fare is available on Amazon [affiliate link].

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on DSB certificates
Check out our resources area here too.