Overview

  • Year Levels F–6
  • Curriculum ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA, NZ
  • Subject Literacy
  • Resource Formats Print
  • Learning Focus Professional books
  • Last Updated Oct 2022

What it is

Written by literacy experts Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey, these practical resources are filled with strategies and ideas to support teachers with:

  • teaching poetry
  • increasing the quality and quantity of student talk across the curriculum
  • delivering an effective writing program
  • explicitly teaching reading.

How it helps

Learners

Support literacy learning: Develop students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills

Enriches language and vocabulary: Extensive activities and ideas provide practice opportunities.

Purposeful learning: Activities encourage creative thinking and problem solving.

Educators

Research-based and practical: Developed from extensive classroom practice and research to help plan realistic and effective programs that engage learners.

Guiding principles and practices: Step-by-step guidance to support teachers and help learners.

Essential resources for a teacher’s toolkit: Digestible and easy to implement ideas for the classroom.

Meet the authors

Sheena Cameron & Louise Dempsey

Sheena Cameron is an experienced primary, secondary and tertiary educator known for her pragmatic approach. She is a highly regarded literacy expert, author of many teacher resources and popular professional development presenter in Australia, New Zealand and internationally.

In 2021 she was appointed a Member of NZ Order of Merit for services to education.

Louise Dempsey is an experienced teacher, consultant and trainer who has worked in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. She facilitates literacy training and school-based professional learning and has completed a range of writing projects for NZ and internationally.

What it includes

The Poetry Book: A Complete Guide to Teaching Poetry

The Poetry Book is a practical guide to teaching poetry covering:

  • planning
  • skills for writing poetry
  • quick writes
  • integrated poetry units
  • sharing and celebrating poetry.​

When students write poetry:

  • it enriches their language and vocabulary
  • encourages creative thinking
  • develops reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.

All students benefit from writing poetry but ‘at risk’ and reluctant writers can experience particular success from the creative but scaffolded nature of poetry.

Included is a login to download:

  • support material including poem exemplars, poem frames, word lists
  • slide presentations, posters, feedback frames, templates and more.

The Oral Language Book: Embedding talk across the curriculum

The Oral Language Book outlines strategies and ideas which will support teachers to:

  • include more quality ‘learning talk’ in their programs
  • embed purposeful oral language opportunities across the curriculum.

It contains research-based ideas and activities with a wide range of photocopiable and downloadable material that can be used to support busy classroom teachers. Topics covered include:

  • speaking and listening
  • vocabulary teaching
  • using drama for oral language
  • listening skills
  • oral presentations.​

Included is a login to download:

  • support material, including student role cards, talking strips, barrier games and more
  • digital versions of graphic organisers.

The Writing Book: A Practical Guide for Teachers

The Writing Book includes research-based practical information to support teachers to plan and deliver an effective writing program.​ It provides:

  • a step-by-step guide to translating curriculum guidelines into actual writing lessons.​
  • mini lessons based on a Knowledge Toolkit (what good writers know) and Skills Toolkit (what good writers do).​
  • lesson plan examples, short writing activities and text type exemplars.​
  • guidance on reviewing, editing and celebrating writing.​

This resource is packed with writing activities, exercises, games and strategies for teachers. 

Included is a login to download:

  • support material for writers
  • slide presentation lessons
  • writing planning sheets and exemplars
  • a photo bank.

The Reading Book: A Complete Guide to Teaching Reading

The Reading Book is a comprehensive guide to teaching reading. It contains research-based information that will support teachers to plan realistic and effective programs that engage learners.

It covers the guiding principles and practices for shared, guided, independent and home reading.​

Included is a login to download:

  • Resources for setting up book clubs and Reciprocal reading
  • All photocopy masters
  • Slide presentations for sample lessons.

Samples & downloads

Look inside the latest resources from Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey.

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