The power of beautiful resources
Well hello there, and welcome to update #136!
I think it’s important to think about beauty when we are evaluating resources we use for teaching.
This isn’t about taste, it’s about value.
Our pupils deserve the best.
Too often poor quality resources with sketchy images and low level text are given to pupils to learn from.
Many offer too little challenge for pupils. Poor quality visuals, cloze exercises, filling in the blanks, colouring in, are unlikely to make pupils think deeply about their learning.
Why do this when there’s gorgeous stuff available? We just need to know where it is!
However, this isn’t about aesthetics, it’s about learning.
High quality visuals and great texts draw pupils in. This is because they provoke curiosity.
A great text can provide pupils with high quality information and interesting vocabulary.
Beautiful resources break down barriers to learning.
This is particularly important for pupils with additional needs.
I show how to use beautiful resources to support pupils with SEND in three new recordings for geography, history and RE on Myatt & Co:
(Access with a group or annual subscription)
Until next time
Mary
The whole movement towards beautiful non-fiction books in recent years is such a treat. I worked at Waterstones for a couple of years and bought a few of them myself, and now they stand propped up in the corner of my classroom waiting to be read!
The most popular one has been Mythopedia, a gorgeous text that introduces children to mythical creatures from around the world.