Mr. Thorne (whose phonics videos were previously featured on Teaching News) has continued to make lots of fantastic phonics videos which can be used in the classroom. Over the summer, he also published his first book which you can now buy online.

www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1528325

The book follows the story of Geraldine the giraffe (who also features in some of the phonics videos) who decides she wants to find her home back in the jungalow. The book is themed around journeys and relationships with family, which are key themes in Key Stage One Geography and Personal Social and Emotional understanding.

You can preview and buy a copy of the book at Blurb.com. Don’t forget to look at Mr. Thorne’s channel on Youtube or follow him on Twitter to keep updated.

The new primary curriculum, which becomes statutory from September 2011, is now online. Its aims are to enable all young people to become:

• successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve,
• confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives,
• responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.

http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/new-primary-curriculum/

Through the curriculum, children should develop the skills, attitudes and dispositions that they need to become well-rounded individuals and lifelong learners. These include literacy, numeracy and ICT capability, learning and thinking skills, and personal, social and emotional skills. There are also six areas of learning:

• Understanding the arts
• Understanding English, communication and languages
• Historical, geographical and social understanding
• Mathematical understanding
• Understanding physical development, health and wellbeing
• Scientific and technological understanding

Religious education is also a statutory subject, as it is in the current curriculum. However, there will also be a statutory requirement for all children to learn a modern foreign language. Dance, drama and citizenship also become part of the statutory curriculum through the new areas of learning.

Find out more at the New Primary Curriculum site.