...unfortunately, it has to be our #PrimaryRocks edchat at this moment in time. I am OK, but I know that over the coming weeks, there are things that I will miss if I am not mindful so I need a hiatus.

Thanks for all your contributions over the years and I hope to be back soon.

Better late than never! #PrimaryRocks

I see so many spines that trudge through “classics” that children struggle to connect with.

We would do a disservice to our pupils by not balancing and introducing new as well as older. Imagine ignoring “The Final Year” by Matt Goodfellow or “Fallout” by Lesley Parr both stunning books

Such as...

😉

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What are your favourite 2025 releases so far?!

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Where it says 'instructional texts' ... what does this mean?

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docs.google.com/document/d/1...
It's a working document on our website and includes a form for suggestions for the next review that anybody can contribute to.

We review our Reading Spine every 2 years, at the announcement of the new children's laureate.

This is the other thing... I want children to encounter books they would not normally encounter!

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It really is. It helps having very knowledgeable staff.

The oversight of the books equally has to open children up to books and help them develop their taste and passion.

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-Mix of genres, protagonist (male, female, animal).
-mix of cultures/settings
-Mix of antiquated language (even though I'd drop this happily, a secondary teacher once convinced me)
-mix of 'themes'
-balance of author age/race/gender

Love that question. I always try my best to show passion for it. The reality is that some children may enjoy that story and they should be about to.

If a book isn’t vibing with the majority of the class we change it. #PrimaryRocks

Where is that balance?!

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With the books that you don't love... do you just fake it until you make it and try to be as passionate about that book as you are about ones you are really passionate about?

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I think this is the trickiest part - having a strategic oversight of the whole curriculum and allowing teachers to teach books they are passionate about!

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This is 'the devil in the detail' part of a book spine for me - how much is determined by strategic choice from leaders and how much by passion of the teacher?

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Would books worked better if teachers had the choice and taught books they LOVED!?

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Do you think in the same year group you could have a teacher who DOES the book and a teacher that LOVES the book? (This came from a discussion with John Murray Reading Explorer)

Do the books stick to genres e.g. Y4 have to have to have contemporary fiction, myth/legend and a fantasy or is it just what the teacher fancies?
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Do your teachers have an input?

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