In this collection of specially commissioned essays, teachers and researchers consider both the controversies and the daily realities of teaching primary English. The work combines the latest research with practical suggestions about what it means for the teacher in the classroom. Four sections reflect the organization of the National Curriculum for English: speaking and listening, reading and writing, and a final section on issues which confront the teacher across the English Curriculum. Particular attention is paid to assessment within the three strands of the National Curriculum.

This text discusses the implications arising from the authors' research into what constitutes an effective teacher of literacy. The research identified what effective teachers know, understand and do which enable them to put effective teaching of literacy into practice in the primary phase. By identifying the strategies used by these teachers, the authors show how these can be applied by other primary teachers to improve their teaching of literacy.

Still the biggest concern for many on initial teacher training courses is the acquisition of subject knowledge and the ability to translate that into effective teaching. This book addresses this - building on the core subject knowledge covered in the Achieving QTS series and relating it to classroom practice. It supports trainees in extending and deepening their knowledge of English and demonstrating how to apply it to planning and implementing lessons. Practical and up-to-date teaching examples are used to clearly contextualize subject knowledge. A clear focus on classroom practice helps...