Aussie Authors

Teachers have always been aware of the need to build a love of books and reading in children, but in recent years the focus on literacy has grown to achieve even greater emphasis. An integral part of the challenge of developing reading skills is the need to select quality books for class reading, private reading and school libraries. In Australia, an additional challenge has long been to provide students with material by Australian authors and with content relevant to Australian children.

Aussie Authors provides teachers and teacher-librarians with a resource for getting kids reading and interacting with great Aussie books. The book focuses on 18 great Australian authors. For each, there is a biography and reading list, followed by an activity exploring one or more of the author's works. In most cases, the teacher or student can choose which one of the author's titles to focus on. Aussie Authors also includes a list of over seventy recommended Australian authors, and a reading challenge.

Aussie Authors 2

Aussie Authors was so well received that it was followed up early in 2004 by Aussie Authors 2. This book follows on from Aussie Authors book, bringing together literature-based activities that examine the works of 20 respected Australian authors. For each author there is a biography and reading list followed by an activity exploring one or more of the author's works.

Assembly

Your turn to do the assembly again? Don't panic!

Assembly is a perfect package for any teacher preparing for class performance. This book contains a range of performance poems of varying length and complexity. Each poem is complemented by a page of teacher's notes with tips for performing and suggested follow up activities.

Writing the News

Writing The News contains a range of newspaper-based writing activities, which can be used in literacy and media lessons with students aged 10 to 14. The activities aim to build greater awareness of the techniques used in constructing the various parts of a newspaper as well as developing reporting and creative writing skills. Each unit of work examines how a different feature of the newspaper is written. Beginning with news articles, and moving on to editorial, sporting articles, advertisements, letters, entertainment and more, activities include studying examples of each as well as hands on writing exercises.

The book focuses on meeting the needs of the Reading strand of the English curriculum, and adds a new twist to favourite fairy-tale characters.

Speak Out

Speak Out is a speaking course for 10 to 12 year old students This book starts off the educational process of public speaking by providing a range of activities which are fun and stress free for students, yet which develop effective speech skills. This approach involves the use of starter activities, skill builders in public speaking, confidence developing games and introductory activities in debating.

Speak Up

An important part of successful communication is the ability to speak successfully. Adults must be able to speak clearly and succinctly in a variety of situations, from private social gatherings to business meetings. . Yet an alarming number of students leave school without having achieved these skills. One reason for this is that students learn to fear these situations at an early age. Another may be that teachers find it difficult to create opportunities for practising and developing public speaking skills.

This book attempts to alleviate these difficulties by providing a range of activities to develop public speaking skills, with a focus on delivery, voice use and audience.

Speak Up Can be used as a follow on from Speak Out but also stands alone.

Spellbound

Spellbound is a language programme aimed at helping students aged 10 and up develop a better understanding of the rules and processes of competent spelling, and a wider working vocabulary. Throughout the book students are encouraged to see spelling as both challenging and fun, and to actually make use of the words they are learning.

The Book Book

The Book Book provides teachers with a range of activities which can be used either in the study of a class text or in conjunction with books of the students' own choices. Some of the activities include writing character profiles, creating different endings to stories, designing games based on books, and writing letters to authors.

Spellbound is a language program aimed at helping students develop a better understanding of the rules and processes of competent spelling, and a wider working vocabulary. Throughout the book students are encouraged to see spelling as both challenging and fun, and to actually make use of the words they are learning.

All eight books are published by Ready Ed Publications and are available in educational book stores and direct from Ready-Ed Publications.