When Michelle decided to write the latest lead post from the Climate Change Collective about the difference between Weather and Climate, I was especially intrigued.
As a Geography student I changed my degree after one year to a BSc(Hons) instead of a BA(Hons) in order that I could concentrate more on physical geography. A big part of this was the study of climate, and in particular, climate change.
A lot of people mix up the two things. Often people assume a few hot or cold days mean a change in climate but generally climate is about averages. Average rainfall, temperature and windspeed. Weather is more a description of what is happening right now in our blustery skies.
Lately, a short cold burst has led to people quickly condemning the idea of climate change. This is shortsighted and doesn’t make much sense.
Over half a century, world average temperatures have increased significantly. Occasional freak weather conditions do nothing to undo this fact.
Check out Michelle’s wonderful article to find out more about this subject. I hope that you can see how important it is to be able to distinguish between Weather and Climate.
Following on from my recent article about how to teach young people to read, I decided to pass on my top tips regarding teaching writing. For me, as a teacher and writer, these two things are very important. Being able to write is a powerful skill which can easily become unappealing if it isn’t taught well.
You may wish to check out my article about encouraging reading too.
Writing is something that not only opens doors, but provides an outlet for worries, dreams and memories.
Creating A Buzz
As with anything, motivation is a big part of the writing process. I was definitely losing interest in writing fiction when I got to Year 10 at school and then a wonderful teacher called Mrs S joined the school and reinvigorated my fascination with composition.
Mrs S was so enthusiastic and knowledgable. She made us feel like her creative team, shared her process of planning creative pieces, acted out scenes from plays excitedly and generally stirred up a buzz in all of us to write fiction.
So if you are a parent wanting to support your child to learn to write or a tutor trying to spark enthusiasm, you need to start by showing that you genuinely care about the written word. The students will then be fascinated by what makes you happy and want a piece of that particular pie.
Some Possibilities
– Be visible enjoying writing. Whether writing a shopping list, composing a speech or simply jotting down a joke, make sure you are clearly seen doing it. Children will be intrigued by a parent or tutor visibly enjoying writing something down.
– Guide the writing process. Any task is more fun when done collaboratively. So why not write something together. Unpicking the process as you go along, draw them into the magic of writing something.
Writing with a partner is fun. It involves sharing ideas, overcoming challenges together and ending up proud as punch of a piece of work that is the result of a team effort.
– One of the hardest parts of teaching writing is getting started. Don’t be afraid to get the learner off to a good start by feeding them possible routes into a text. So what if you have to provide them with the prompt or initiate the first paragraph? Often a beginning is all that is required to kickstart the unfurling of a work of fiction.
– Make sure that spelling is no object. Writing can be by hand or on a screen. Either way, dictionaries, word banks or spell checks on devices can be utilised to support spellings and speed things along. You as the tutor can encourage them to create a draft without worrying too much about spellings. These things can be fixed later on.
– Demonstrate how you come up with sentences. Make transparent the thought process and let them know that it is OK to make mistakes.
Every author starts with a first draft. They may have completely changed the whole thing by the time they publish a book. Editing is part and parcel of writing successfully.
And Finally…
For me, writing enables me to spout my ideas and thoughts on anything and everything. Nothing beats the feeling of creating a short story or writing a meaningful letter or note.
Hopefully some of the suggestions for teaching writing that I mentioned above will help you to think about the way you encourage writing. The most important thing is generating a love of writing by showing how much passion you have for composition.
For another recent article, have a look at my Wizard of Oz theatre review. Perhaps follow my blog for similar future content.
AD – This is a sponsored post but the views I share are purely my own. There are promotional links to the book’s website.
Boo’s Shoes: A Rabbit and Fox Story – Learn To Tie Shoelaces
As a teacher, I am always shocked to discover how many children get through life without knowing how to tie their own shoelaces. I am forever being asked to help them to tie them and I cannot believe they can get to eight years old and wear laced up shoes, without being able to do them up independently.
I have to admit that in recent years I have struggled to find useful resources that enable me to go through lace tying step-by-step, so having come across this incredible educational book, I am more than pleased to big it up. The book is called Boo’s Shoes: A Rabbit and Fox Story – Learn To Tie Shoelaces and stars two really cool characters, Boo the bunny and Farah Fox. Check out the colourful cover page below:
Boo’s Shoes is written by Sybrina Durant
Why is this book handy for parents?
Boo always wants shoes without laces and doesn’t have the confidence to learn to tie his shoes. His friend, Farah, convinces him that tying laces is an important life skill and will help him feel better about himself.
As well as telling a beautiful story, which can be read again and again, this book includes an instruction section, where the reader can learn step-by-step how to make a bunny ear bow with their laces. The thing that I love most about it is that it encourages parents and children to share a love of reading whilst also learning a valuable lesson.
Summary
So, tying things together, this wonderful children’s book is an educational treat. Boo’s story is part of a series of teaching books, including one about tying a tie and another about neck scarves. Sybrina’s book shop can be found at The Rabbit and the Fox Book Store and is full of brilliant stories, with animal characters who find fun ways to teach these important life skills.
Thank you for reading this shoe tying book post. I am keen for young people to develop their own independence through shared learning experiences. This book is a useful way for parents and children to work together and enjoy getting to grips with tying laces.
