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

These innovative se books provides a refreshing approach to the teaching of texts to primary plus aged children in the 6-9 and 10-13 age groups. Opening Doors makes literature accessible and engaging while scaffolding learners not only to -˜learn' but to absorb, engage with and enjoy an exciting range of literature. Opening Doors is nothing if not aspirational, encouraging young readers to immerse themselves in challenging, absorbing texts and their teachers to learn alongside them in terms of developing their own subject knowledge and pedagogy as they discover challenging new ways to engage with and teach the texts on offer. It provides pupils with -˜wings to fly, not drills to kill' - I love this - in its scaffold to approach the teaching and learning of quality texts. However, the authors very skilfully provide options for teachers rather than didactic instructions which have become prevalent in teachers' resources in recent decades. The explorations of each text follow a similar guiding structure which encourages teachers to think deeply about how they can effectively develop children's understanding of the text and how this understanding can provide a purposeful springboard into writing. This is particularly apparent in the poetry sections of both books, which, using well-chosen poems, encourage rich and nuanced classroom discussions that aim to challenge children's thinking and to provoke creative responses. These books would be excellent additions to support teachers to develop their understanding of how to use challenging texts in their classrooms, as they provide examples of how high-quality texts can be effectively explored through the use of a variety of suggested strategies and thoughtful pedagogical guidance.