Category Archives: English

World Book Day 2020

It’s World Book Day 2020 on Thursday, 5th March and schools all over Urmston, Stretford and the universe in general are celebrating with dressing up days (come as your favourite character), read-with-parents events and author visits.  This year there is … Continue reading

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The Word Gap: Why Language Matters

The ‘word gap’ matters. One of the nicest things in life is listening to children chatter. Their zest for life and their sparkling imaginations are enchanting. It goes without saying that children’s language skills matter. They need to express what … Continue reading

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Improving Reading Comprehension: Suggestions and Guidance

What is Reading Comprehension? Reading comprehension is, quite simply, understanding texts. Comprehension is crucial to becoming a good reader. Teachers and parents agree that there is little point to reading without understanding! Furthermore, reading comprehension is tested at the end … Continue reading

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How poetry can unlock your child’s creative writing genius

Creative writing can be a problem for many children. Some find it hard to set their ideas down on paper. Some lack the confidence to display their inner thoughts on paper. Some just cannot come up with the ideas in … Continue reading

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Words About Winter: a FREE Creative Writing Workbook

Winter is an exciting time for children. Our FREE creative writing workbook aims to channel that excitement into a creative response. With nearly 50 pages of winter-themed poetry, prose and drama, Words About Winter is perfect for any child in … Continue reading

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Shakespeare Week 2018

Shakespeare Week 2018 runs from 12 – 18 March this year and there are many ways to introduce your child to the Bard of Avon, without scaring them off – after all, ‘Of all base passions, fear is the most … Continue reading

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Advent Calendar Day 22 – When the Reindeer Went Missing

Welcome to Day 22 of Better Tuition’s Winter Advent Activity Calendar.  Today we have a Yuletide English Language Quiz for you.  We hope you enjoy it. Instructions: In each question, choose the best word or group of words to complete this passage … Continue reading

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Advent Activity Calendar: Day 12 – Santa’s Proof Reading Challenge

Instructions: Santa has a lot of letters to read at this time of year!  Here’s one with twelve spelling mistakes and eighteen incidents of missed or mistaken punctuation.  Can you a) identify and b) correct each one? You can print off … Continue reading

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Multiple GCSE resits: do we need a change?

“Almost 80% of pupils in England who do not achieve a C grade in GCSE maths or English fail to attain this mark during their resits. It is leaving hundreds of thousands of students stuck in a cycle of exams.” … Continue reading

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Posted in English, GCSE, Key Stage 4, Maths, Opinion | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How to Create a Reading-Friendly Home

A reading-friendly home is one in which reading material in many forms is enjoyed by every member of the family. You don’t need hundreds of books, a Kindle or the Complete Works of Shakespeare to create a reading-friendly home. As … Continue reading

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Posted in English, Reading, Top tips | Tagged | 1 Comment