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Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · Jun 16

Hi Folks. Apologies to anyone who was expecting #PrimaryRocks to be running tonight, but it won't be on now this term. Everything is alright, but something has to give and...

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Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · Jun 11

Better late than never! #PrimaryRocks

a baby is laying on a couch with his hands behind his head and wearing a tom jerry shirt .

Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · Jun 9

Unfortunately I can’t make #PrimaryRocks tonight but I do have this as a puzzle for you! Answers to follow!

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Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

Thanks for a great chat, everyone!

Enjoy the break!

We get TWO weeks!

See you all on 9th June!

#PrimaryRocks

ALT: a baby is laying on a couch with his hands behind his head and wearing a tom jerry shirt .

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Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

Final final #PrimaryRocks Question...

What about celebrity authors - David Baddiel, David Walliams, Tom Fletcher et al. ? Would they make it on to your reading curriculum?

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Reposted by Primary Rocks Edchat

Simon Smith @smithsmm.bsky.social · May 19

I see so many spines that trudge through “classics” that children struggle to connect with.

We would do a disservice to our pupils by not balancing and introducing new as well as older. Imagine ignoring “The Final Year” by Matt Goodfellow or “Fallout” by Lesley Parr both stunning books

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Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

Such as...

😉

#PrimaryRocks

Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

What are your favourite 2025 releases so far?!

#PrimaryRocks

a cartoon of a wizard holding a wand and a purple pot

Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

#PrimaryRocks Q3

Final question tonight!

Reading aloud...

How important is it and when is the right time to stop?

ALT: a cartoon of a wizard holding a wand and a purple pot

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Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

Where it says 'instructional texts' ... what does this mean?

#PrimaryRocks

Reading Spine Every Child’s Entitlement This is our reading range - the books that every child in our school will hear read aloud from cover to cover. Some of them are instructional texts, to be stu...

Reposted by Primary Rocks Edchat

Three Bridges Primary School @threebridgessch.bsky.social · May 19

docs.google.com/document/d/1...
It's a working document on our website and includes a form for suggestions for the next review that anybody can contribute to.

Reading Spine

docs.google.com

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Reposted by Primary Rocks Edchat

Three Bridges Primary School @threebridgessch.bsky.social · May 19

We review our Reading Spine every 2 years, at the announcement of the new children's laureate.

Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

This is the other thing... I want children to encounter books they would not normally encounter!

#PrimaryRocks

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Reposted by Primary Rocks Edchat

Simon Smith @smithsmm.bsky.social · May 19

It really is. It helps having very knowledgeable staff.

The oversight of the books equally has to open children up to books and help them develop their taste and passion.

#PrimaryRocks

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Reposted by Primary Rocks Edchat

Dean Boddington @misterbodd.bsky.social · May 19

-Mix of genres, protagonist (male, female, animal).
-mix of cultures/settings
-Mix of antiquated language (even though I'd drop this happily, a secondary teacher once convinced me)
-mix of 'themes'
-balance of author age/race/gender

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Reposted by Primary Rocks Edchat

Matt Roberts @mroberts90matt.bsky.social · May 19

Love that question. I always try my best to show passion for it. The reality is that some children may enjoy that story and they should be about to.

If a book isn’t vibing with the majority of the class we change it. #PrimaryRocks

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Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

Where is that balance?!

#PrimaryRocks

a cartoon of a man carrying a stack of books in front of a store that says yeah books

Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

With the books that you don't love... do you just fake it until you make it and try to be as passionate about that book as you are about ones you are really passionate about?

#PrimaryRocks

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Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

I think this is the trickiest part - having a strategic oversight of the whole curriculum and allowing teachers to teach books they are passionate about!

#PrimaryRocks

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Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

#PrimaryRocks Q2

Along similar lines...

How do you strike the balance between 'literary classics' and inclusive, contemporary voices in your reading offer?

ALT: a cartoon of a man carrying a stack of books in front of a store that says yeah books

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Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

This is 'the devil in the detail' part of a book spine for me - how much is determined by strategic choice from leaders and how much by passion of the teacher?

#PrimaryRocks

Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

Would books worked better if teachers had the choice and taught books they LOVED!?

#PrimaryRocks

Do you think in the same year group you could have a teacher who DOES the book and a teacher that LOVES the book? (This came from a discussion with John Murray Reading Explorer)

Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

Do the books stick to genres e.g. Y4 have to have to have contemporary fiction, myth/legend and a fantasy or is it just what the teacher fancies?
#PrimaryRocks

Primary Rocks Edchat @primaryrocks.bsky.social · May 19

Do your teachers have an input?

#PrimaryRocks