Toadstool Tales' visit during World Book Day week was a fantastic way to inspire children from EYFS, KS1 and KS2 with reading. Charlotte and Fliss adapted sessions to suit the needs of the children based on prior discussions and were able to personalise workshops to suit. Charlotte read a brand new, unpublished book to the EYFS and KS1 children and created an engaging task to follow on after. The KS2 children also had a sneak preview of a new book in the Twigs series and thoroughly engaged with the drama activity. The children clearly came away inspired and engaged during the sessions with answering and asking questions. It was brilliant that children were able to purchase books after school too! Thoroughly recommend having Toadstool Tales to facilitate a workshop! Thank you!
Steph Gibbs, Reading Lead and LKS2 Teacher, Steam Mills Primary School
Education
As qualified teachers with over 29 years of experience between us, we offer author visits, workshops and curriculum maps that combine our in-depth knowledge of teaching objectives with our literary passion, creating fun and engaging learning experiences for children.
- Charlotte Taylor MA (Hons) Psychology and PGDE (Distinction) Primary
- Felicity Simister BA (Hons) Children's Literature with QTS Primary
“It was great to have Charlotte L. Taylor visit our school on World Book Day. As a qualified primary teacher and author, Charlotte’s presentation hit just the right balance with the children. Her books are exciting for children but also have many messages which link well with values-based education.”
Sara Herriott—Deputy Head and English Lead, Brampton Abbotts CE Primary School.
Author Visits
Charlotte's visits generally take the form of class or key-stage assemblies, which are adult-led presentations that explore the self-development process of her journey as a teacher and an author thus far.
Separate workshops link to the National Curriculum for England (2014) and include some of the following themes:
- Exploring poetry
- Making predictions from what you know
- Forming inferences
- Aspirational journeys
Each presentation is followed by a question and answer session with the children and a key-stage appropriate follow-up activity.
A book sale and signing session can be held at the end of the school day.
Workshops
Our workshops are designed to meet the National Curriculum for England (2014) objectives for KS1 and KS2. These can either be English or P.S.H.E. based. They are fun, engaging and educational, and they follow the themes, values and writing styles explored throughout the books published by Charlotte L. Taylor.
Follow the links to view available learning sessions for the children in your school.
"It was quickly clear that these are resources made by a teacher for teachers. Someone who really understands the expectations of the curriculum, demands on teachers’ time and how to engage children. The resources ... are thoughtfully considered to match the National Curriculum, with links made explicit and clear. They support pupils to develop the reading skills that are essential to make them confident and competent readers."
Natasha Bradley, Deputy Headteacher and Gloucestershire Education Leader, B.Ed (Hons) with QTS.
Curriculum Maps
Twigs may be a mischievous character, but she loves to learn! In this instructional guide for the classroom, the time-saving lesson plans and collaborative activities will help bring Broken Twigs: Farewell to Faerie Forest to life.
Covering six to eight weeks of learning, this guide helps children to explore more deeply the interesting themes within the story using discussion and guided work, whilst encouraging them to develop a love for reading as they connect with Twigs on her perilous adventure.
Key features of this guide:
- Fun content which has been mapped to the National Curriculum for England (2014) objectives
- An abundance of question types to address all of the main skills children need to master in order to become independent and happy readers
- Creative activities which also support speaking and listening skills during guided and group work
- Flexible planning that will adapt to your style of teaching
- Linked writing opportunities to support the KS2 curriculum
- P.S.H.E. lessons on Friendship, offering a cross-curricular approach to teaching and learning
Twigs has also promised not to get into too much mischief when she visits, although that cannot really be guaranteed!
Read Aloud and Book Talk with Kala Williams
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