Year 5 English: Freeze Frames and Thought Tapping
Step into the Scene: ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ in Year 5 In our English lessons this week, Year 5 have been exploring the art of ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ to bring their characters to life. To help us understand how to describe emotions without simply naming them, we took our learning onto its feet! The children worked in groups to ‘freeze frame’ a dramatic moment: a time traveller from a sterile, silent future space colony arriving suddenly in the middle of a bustling, modern-day playground. We focused on using our bodies and facial expressions to convey the traveller’s shock at the sensory explosion of sights, sounds, and smells. The tension rose as we moved into ‘thought-tracking’; when a child’s shoulder was tapped, they had to break their freeze frame to deliver a single, powerful line of dialogue. From the traveller's stunned whispers to the confused shouts of the modern-day pupils, it was a masterclass in character development. These physical experiences are now providing a fantastic foundation for our descriptive writing as we translate those frozen moments into vivid prose.
Year 1 - Visit to Darwen Library
Books, stories, imagination… what better way to celebrate World Book Week? ????✨ Our Year 1 children had a brilliant visit to Darwen Library where they met librarian Andrew and discovered how the library works behind the scenes. They explored the shelves, browsed a wide range of books, and enjoyed sharing a story together. Moments like this help nurture a real love of reading from an early age. What was your favourite book when you were little?
Reception- Literacy- Reading
Watching Reception children engage with guided reading books on a daily basis is like witnessing a series of small, brilliant light bulbs flickering on in real time. As the children transition from simply "reading" the pictures to decoding phonemes and blending sounds with growing confidence. This daily consistency is key; it transforms the daunting task of literacy into a predictable, rewarding adventure where high-frequency words become familiar friends. The magic lies in the structured support—by revisiting carefully leveled texts every day, children don't just improve their fluency, they build the "reading stamina" necessary for more complex stories. You can see their pride swell as they realize that the squiggles on the page carry meaning, turning every session into a significant milestone in their journey toward becoming independent readers.
Year 6: English - Crime and Detective Novels
This week in English, year 6 has begun reading The Curse of The Maya. We have made evidence based predictions after looking at the front cover and reading the blurb.
Year 4 English - Responding to Visual Clues
In English, we have started a new unit and have immersed ourselves in the world of adventure. What better way to do this, than watching visual clues and responding to them appropriately to aid our understanding!
Year 1 - Active Learning in English
Year 1 have been diving into the world of Oliver's Vegetables this week. To help us retell the story, the children created a physical map of the garden, using it to navigate through the days of the week and the different vegetables Oliver finds. By moving through the map, the children are using active learning to cement their sequencing skills and build confidence in their storytelling. It was a fantastic way to bring the book to life and get everyone moving while they learn.
Nursery - Literacy - Bakery Creations
This week, the children loved visiting our classroom Valentine's bakery, where they used playdough to "bake" their own cakes, biscuits, and treats. The activity provided a fantastic workout for their fine motor skills. The children worked hard to squeeze, splat, roll, pinch, and poke the dough, building the hand strength needed for future writing. They used cutters to create heart-shaped biscuits and carefully placed dough into cupcake cases, adding various decorations to finish their "bakes." As the play progressed, some children were inspired to record their work. They moved from the dough table to the drawing area, where they transferred their real-life creations into drawings. This was a wonderful way for the children to give meaning to their marks, as they explained what they had drawn and matched their pictures to the treats they had made in the bakery.
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Year 3 - English - Generating Vocabulary About Walls
Our Year 3 poets scaled the heights of creativity today! During our English session, we dove deep into vocabulary building, using the humble wall as our inspiration. Rather than just seeing bricks and mortar, our young writers explored the textures, secrets, and stories hidden within different types of walls.
Year 1 Handwriting
✍️ Big Pens, Big Dreams! Our Year 1 superstars at Darwen St James’ have been working incredibly hard on their handwriting this week! From practicing letter formations on the floor to mastering their sentences on whiteboards, these students are proving that practice makes perfect. We love seeing their confidence grow as they "Nurture Ambition" one letter at a time! ???? Highlights: Creative Spaces: Writing on large paper to develop those fine motor skills. Teamwork: Supporting each other at the writing stations. Success: Seeing those full sentences come to life! ???? #HandwritingHeroes #Year1 #DarwenStJames #NurturingAmbition #PrimaryEducation #LearningIsFun
Year 5 English - Identifying Non Fiction Text Types
Magazine Marvels: Year 5 Uncover the Secrets of Non-Fiction! This week, Year 5 kicked off an exciting new English unit: Writing for a Magazine. Before we can become world-class journalists and editors, we had to learn how to "decode" the different types of writing found on the page. The Great Text Sort The classroom was a hive of activity as we worked in teams to sort a mountain of cards. We had to match Text Types with their specific Examples, Features, and Purposes. It was a brilliant way to see the difference between: Instructions (How to do something) Explanations (How something works) Recounts (Retelling an event) Information Texts (Sharing facts) Persuasive Texts (Convincing the reader) Discussion Texts (Looking at two sides of an argument) Real-World Research with Aquila To put our new skills to the test, we delved into copies of the wonderful Aquila Magazine. We became "Text Detectives," hunting through the pages to see which types of writing the editors used most. Our big discovery? While there was a sprinkle of everything, Information Texts are the true kings of the magazine world! We are now feeling inspired and ready to start planning our own professional magazine spreads. Watch this space! Join the Investigation! When you're reading a newspaper or magazine at home this week, see if you can spot a 'persuasive' advert or an 'explanation' article—can you tell your child what gave it away?
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Year 2 - English - Non-Fiction Texts
Can you tell the difference between a fairytale and a fact file? This week, Year 2 swapped the classroom for the quiet corners of the library to explore the fascinating world of non-fiction. As they delved into a variety of information books, the children had brilliant discussions about how these texts differ from their favourite storybooks, identifying key features like glossaries, indexes, and contents pages. The biggest "lightbulb moment" came when they realised that while stories take us on imaginary adventures, non-fiction is a treasure trove of real-world facts! It was wonderful to see their curiosity grow as they discovered how to navigate these books to find answers about the world around them. #Year2English #LibraryVisit #NonFiction #PrimaryLiteracy #FactFinders #ReadingForPleasure
Year 6: English - Macbeth
This week in English, Year 6 have been focussing on understanding how to create tension and atmosphere in their writing. They have written a powerful setting description for the opening to Macbeth.
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