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Product reviews for Opening Doors to Quality Writing
Wendy Thomas, Head Teacher, Churchfields Junior School -“ Testimonial for the Opening Doors to Quality Writing series' ERA 2017 submission
An outstanding resource. Opening Doors to Quality Writing has proven to be an invaluable resource to our Junior School community. We order few texts of this nature but this innovative resource has proven itself to be worth every penny not only in terms of financial expenditure but by the impact that it has had in the classrooms throughout our large and diverse school community. The very nature of this resource has impacted on all subject areas enabling teachers and students to plan, communicate ideas, raise questions and converse on a range of subjects from Dickens to poetic imagery in Rossetti's poetry. This resource is wide ranging and so much more than simply a collection of materials. Rather it informs an approach to learning which extends far beyond the teaching of literacy. It has embedded a unique approach to learning, enabling teachers to plan and extend thinking in a way which suits both the needs of the individual and the group.
The use of classic texts in literature has inspired children of all abilities to access high quality text which has stimulated ideas, encouraged and given them the confidence to read and explore literature they may not otherwise have chosen to read. Once hooked, the children have generated their enthusiasm into producing written work of a high quality: displaying breath, depth and creative response in their writing and verbal response. These inclusive resources have facilitated learning at all levels enabling endless opportunities for subject mastery in literacy with the added bonus of equipping children with strong transferable skills which we see in evidence in other subjects ranging from science to philosophy. There is no space for limiting children's learning. Each separate suggested resource and idea extends the understanding of all children, providing limitless opportunity and space to introduce additional ideas and skills to extend the individual learner's experience.
We have been able to introduce Opening Doors to colleagues in at least five other local schools.
Colleagues have been delighted with the response from staff and students, and impressed by the versatility of the resource.
The use of this quality text has been an inspiration to our staff and children directly or indirectly, leading us to create our own tube map of reading material: -˜The Churchfields Reading Express', which features numerous classic texts and materials inspired by Opening Doors. We are beginning to notice a significant increase in the number of children reading quality classic texts for pleasure and a noticeable improvement in reading proficiency and comprehension skills.
These excellent learning tools have enabled our staff to engage not only with the children but with each other to produce phenomenal work as evidenced in the high standards reached in assessment at the end of Key Stage Two. They have indeed opened the doors wide! Bob himself has also made himself available online to engage in an ongoing dialogue with both our staff and the children. We have been immensely proud of one of our students who, using the resources, has produced writing which is modelled in the book. It has been fantastic for staff to be able to enter into this thought-provoking dialogue and to extend their own knowledge and improve their planning as a result of this online conversation. In this respect the resource has initiated high quality learning opportunities for the teacher, student and author. We are confident that this will in turn lead to future high quality resources being produced that will continue to extend and enrich our learning.
Bob Cox brings his years of teaching and advisory work to this fabulous resource which has enriched and, in many ways, revolutionised our learning as a community. This fresh and rigorous approach continues to question and improve the way in which we teach and enriches the experience of all who are a part of our learning community. Without question these inclusive resources have had and will continue to have a profound effect on teaching and learning in our school. We have no hesitation whatever in recommending them to colleagues and eagerly await publication of the next book!
The use of classic texts in literature has inspired children of all abilities to access high quality text which has stimulated ideas, encouraged and given them the confidence to read and explore literature they may not otherwise have chosen to read. Once hooked, the children have generated their enthusiasm into producing written work of a high quality: displaying breath, depth and creative response in their writing and verbal response. These inclusive resources have facilitated learning at all levels enabling endless opportunities for subject mastery in literacy with the added bonus of equipping children with strong transferable skills which we see in evidence in other subjects ranging from science to philosophy. There is no space for limiting children's learning. Each separate suggested resource and idea extends the understanding of all children, providing limitless opportunity and space to introduce additional ideas and skills to extend the individual learner's experience.
We have been able to introduce Opening Doors to colleagues in at least five other local schools.
Colleagues have been delighted with the response from staff and students, and impressed by the versatility of the resource.
The use of this quality text has been an inspiration to our staff and children directly or indirectly, leading us to create our own tube map of reading material: -˜The Churchfields Reading Express', which features numerous classic texts and materials inspired by Opening Doors. We are beginning to notice a significant increase in the number of children reading quality classic texts for pleasure and a noticeable improvement in reading proficiency and comprehension skills.
These excellent learning tools have enabled our staff to engage not only with the children but with each other to produce phenomenal work as evidenced in the high standards reached in assessment at the end of Key Stage Two. They have indeed opened the doors wide! Bob himself has also made himself available online to engage in an ongoing dialogue with both our staff and the children. We have been immensely proud of one of our students who, using the resources, has produced writing which is modelled in the book. It has been fantastic for staff to be able to enter into this thought-provoking dialogue and to extend their own knowledge and improve their planning as a result of this online conversation. In this respect the resource has initiated high quality learning opportunities for the teacher, student and author. We are confident that this will in turn lead to future high quality resources being produced that will continue to extend and enrich our learning.
Bob Cox brings his years of teaching and advisory work to this fabulous resource which has enriched and, in many ways, revolutionised our learning as a community. This fresh and rigorous approach continues to question and improve the way in which we teach and enriches the experience of all who are a part of our learning community. Without question these inclusive resources have had and will continue to have a profound effect on teaching and learning in our school. We have no hesitation whatever in recommending them to colleagues and eagerly await publication of the next book!
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17/02/2017 00:00
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