Product reviews for Opening Doors to a Richer English Curriculum for Ages 6 to 9

This is a thoroughly researched and exciting resource to open up the imaginations of teachers and students alike to the wonders of challenging Literature. The carefully thought through lesson structure with access strategies, deep objectives and knowledge-rich guidance makes you feel as if you are in the capable hands of someone who has climbed the mountain before you and knows the routes for every ability level but also that the views are spectacular.

As a seasoned teacher of English key stages 3 to 5 I found myself getting excited by the suggested activities such as -˜imagining yourself to be the wind' and wanting to try them myself! Through using these books, students(and teachers)will regain their sense of passion for the world of imagination, so often ground out of them by exhausting assessment requirements.

Also the use of students' own writing is very inspiring and shows you exactly what this age group are capable of given the right stimulus, support and licence to experiment. I loved the feeling that students just like mine had written beautiful, profound poems- so why shouldn't mine be able to? It is called -˜Opening Doors' rightly- the most important doors they are opening are the doors of perception in the minds of teachers, making all teachers feel able to introduce enriching literary content into their classrooms.

Seeing the names of -˜John Clare' and -˜Emily Bronte' on a teaching plan for this age group is enough to get my heart rate going with excitement and the activities are all so clearly and cleverly staged to make these literary gems completely accessible to all students. As a GCSE and A-level teacher I cannot thank the Opening Doors series enough for reminding us that the student who enjoys creative reading and writing early on will thrive at assessments, but better than that they will be enriched beyond their wildest dreams as lifelong adventurous readers of fiction.