Donna Thomson – författare

Developing Early Comprehension Skills Through Picture Book Talk demonstrates how strategic ‘picture reading’ and playful sensory learning can develop young children’s explicit and implicit comprehension skills, regardless of their decoding ability. Offering an inclusive teaching and assessment approach that aligns with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and supports the early adopter school initiative, it will help readers to guide children’s use of picture-reading-for-meaning strategies in preparation for more complex comprehension instruction in Year 1.

The book also contains useful resources such as colour picture booklets and downloadable family workshop sessions to help guide parents in more effective ‘picture book talk’ at home. It offers corresponding steps for planning, teaching, and assessing children’s ‘picture book talk’, multisensory learning, self-questioning skills, and early reading for meaning. The methods and activities within this book specifically help to develop:

vocabulary (setting vocabulary, character vocabulary, general vocabulary) communication and language skills critical thinking and inference skills metacognition (personal learning awareness) self-confidence and self-regulation skills

Providing examples of practice, photocopiable resources, and step-by-step guidance for teaching key comprehension strategies and early self-regulation skills, this book is essential reading for all those who work with young children and wish to encourage a love of reading.

Developing Early Comprehension Skills Through Picture Book Talk demonstrates how strategic ‘picture reading’ and playful sensory learning can develop young children’s explicit and implicit comprehension skills, regardless of their decoding ability. Offering an inclusive teaching and assessment approach that aligns with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and supports the early adopter school initiative, it will help readers to guide children’s use of picture-reading-for-meaning strategies in preparation for more complex comprehension instruction in Year 1.

The book also contains useful resources such as colour picture booklets and downloadable family workshop sessions to help guide parents in more effective ‘picture book talk’ at home. It offers corresponding steps for planning, teaching, and assessing children’s ‘picture book talk’, multisensory learning, self-questioning skills, and early reading for meaning. The methods and activities within this book specifically help to develop:

vocabulary (setting vocabulary, character vocabulary, general vocabulary) communication and language skills critical thinking and inference skills metacognition (personal learning awareness) self-confidence and self-regulation skills

Providing examples of practice, photocopiable resources, and step-by-step guidance for teaching key comprehension strategies and early self-regulation skills, this book is essential reading for all those who work with young children and wish to encourage a love of reading.

Developing Early Comprehension Skills Through Picture Book Talk demonstrates how strategic ‘picture reading’ and playful sensory learning can develop young children’s explicit and implicit comprehension skills, regardless of their decoding ability. Offering an inclusive teaching and assessment approach that aligns with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and supports the early adopter school initiative, it will help readers to guide children’s use of picture-reading-for-meaning strategies in preparation for more complex comprehension instruction in Year 1.The book also contains useful resources such as colour picture booklets and downloadable family workshop sessions to help guide parents in more effective ‘picture book talk’ at home. It offers corresponding steps for planning, teaching, and assessing children’s ‘picture book talk’, multisensory learning, self-questioning skills, and early reading for meaning. The methods and activities within this book specifically help to develop:vocabulary (setting vocabulary, character vocabulary, general vocabulary)communication and language skillscritical thinking and inference skillsmetacognition (personal learning awareness)self-confidence and self-regulation skillsProviding examples of practice, photocopiable resources, and step-by-step guidance for teaching key comprehension strategies and early self-regulation skills, this book is essential reading for all those who work with young children and wish to encourage a love of reading.

Developing Early Comprehension Skills Through Picture Book Talk demonstrates how strategic ‘picture reading’ and playful sensory learning can develop young children’s explicit and implicit comprehension skills, regardless of their decoding ability. Offering an inclusive teaching and assessment approach that aligns with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and supports the early adopter school initiative, it will help readers to guide children’s use of picture-reading-for-meaning strategies in preparation for more complex comprehension instruction in Year 1.The book also contains useful resources such as colour picture booklets and downloadable family workshop sessions to help guide parents in more effective ‘picture book talk’ at home. It offers corresponding steps for planning, teaching, and assessing children’s ‘picture book talk’, multisensory learning, self-questioning skills, and early reading for meaning. The methods and activities within this book specifically help to develop:vocabulary (setting vocabulary, character vocabulary, general vocabulary)communication and language skillscritical thinking and inference skillsmetacognition (personal learning awareness)self-confidence and self-regulation skillsProviding examples of practice, photocopiable resources, and step-by-step guidance for teaching key comprehension strategies and early self-regulation skills, this book is essential reading for all those who work with young children and wish to encourage a love of reading.

Master comprehension and build English skillsThis workbook supports children to develop their comprehensionskills using a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts through funand engaging activities which will help motivate your child's learningand confidence.A certificate is also included, along with an introduction chapteron how to use the book.Content is split into: Retelling; Literal questioning; Prediction;Inference; Clarification; Evaluation; and a final chapter forReview. Help children feel prepared, capable and ready to tackle newchallenges at school.Use at home or in school.Quickly builds confidence through regular, achievable activitiesthat encourage independent learning.Designed to complement the school curriculum, meaning childrenwork at the right level, so nothing feels too hard or too easy.Includes extra notes and tips to reinforce skills.All answers available online.  This workbook: is ideal for children aged 5-7 (Year 1 and Year 2) building coreEnglish skills.is perfect for parents who want to support their child's learningthrough focused, targeted practice at home.  SERIES INFORMATIONPacked with engaging activities and confidence-boosting practice,these targeted workbooks help children stay on track with theirlearning while having fun at the same time.Also available in this series Comprehension, Grammar and Punctuation,Handwriting, and Spelling and Vocabulary. These workbookshelp keep children motivated, engaged and support them as theyachieve mastery of English.

Master comprehension and build English skillsThis workbook supports children to develop their comprehensionskills using a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts through funand engaging activities which will help motivate your child's learningand confidence.A certificate is also included, along with an introduction chapteron how to use the book.Content is split into: Retelling; Literal questioning; Prediction;Inference; Clarification; Evaluation; and a final chapter forReview. Help children feel prepared, capable and ready to tackle newchallenges at school.Use at home or in school.Quickly builds confidence through regular, achievable activitiesthat encourage independent learning.Designed to complement the school curriculum, meaning childrenwork at the right level, so nothing feels too hard or too easy.Includes extra notes and tips to reinforce skills.All answers available online.  This workbook: is ideal for children aged 7-8 (Year 3) building core Englishskills.is perfect for parents who want to support their child's learningthrough focused, targeted practice at home.  SERIES INFORMATIONPacked with engaging activities and confidence-boosting practice,these targeted workbooks help children stay on track with theirlearning while having fun at the same time.Also available in this series Comprehension, Grammar and Punctuation,Handwriting, and Spelling and Vocabulary. These workbookshelp keep children motivated, engaged and support them as theyachieve mastery of English.

Master comprehension and build English skillsThis workbook supports children to develop their comprehensionskills using a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts through funand engaging activities which will help motivate your child's learningand confidence.A certificate is also included, along with an introduction chapteron how to use the book.Content is split into: Retelling; Literal questioning; Prediction;Inference; Clarification; Evaluation; and a final chapter forReview. Help children feel prepared, capable and ready to tackle newchallenges at school.Use at home or in school.Quickly builds confidence through regular, achievable activitiesthat encourage independent learning.Designed to complement the school curriculum, meaning childrenwork at the right level, so nothing feels too hard or too easy.Includes extra notes and tips to reinforce skills.All answers available online.  This workbook: is ideal for children aged 8-9 (Year 4) building core Englishskills.is perfect for parents who want to support their child's learningthrough focused, targeted practice at home.  SERIES INFORMATIONPacked with engaging activities and confidence-boosting practice,these targeted workbooks help children stay on track with theirlearning while having fun at the same time.Also available in this series Comprehension, Grammar and Punctuation,Handwriting, and Spelling and Vocabulary. These workbookshelp keep children motivated, engaged and support them as theyachieve mastery of English.

Master comprehension and build English skillsThis workbook supports children to develop their comprehensionskills using a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts through funand engaging activities which will help motivate your child's learningand confidence.A certificate is also included, along with an introduction chapteron how to use the book.Content is split into: Retelling; Literal questioning; Prediction;Inference; Clarification; Evaluation; and a final chapter forReview. Help children feel prepared, capable and ready to tackle newchallenges at school.Use at home or in school.Quickly builds confidence through regular, achievable activitiesthat encourage independent learning.Designed to complement the school curriculum, meaning childrenwork at the right level, so nothing feels too hard or too easy.Includes extra notes and tips to reinforce skills.All answers available online.  This workbook: is ideal for children aged 9-10 (Year 5) building core Englishskills.is perfect for parents who want to support their child's learningthrough focused, targeted practice at home.  SERIES INFORMATIONPacked with engaging activities and confidence-boosting practice,these targeted workbooks help children stay on track with theirlearning while having fun at the same time.Also available in this series Comprehension, Grammar and Punctuation,Handwriting, and Spelling and Vocabulary. These workbookshelp keep children motivated, engaged and support them as theyachieve mastery of English.

Master comprehension and build English skillsThis workbook supports children to develop their comprehensionskills using a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts through funand engaging activities which will help motivate your child's learningand confidence.A certificate is also included, along with an introduction chapteron how to use the book.Content is split into: Retelling; Literal questioning; Prediction;Inference; Clarification; Evaluation; and a final chapter forReview. Help children feel prepared, capable and ready to tackle newchallenges at school.Use at home or in school.Quickly builds confidence through regular, achievable activitiesthat encourage independent learning.Designed to complement the school curriculum, meaning childrenwork at the right level, so nothing feels too hard or too easy.Includes extra notes and tips to reinforce skills.All answers available online.  This workbook: is ideal for children aged 10-11 (Year 6) building core Englishskills.is perfect for parents who want to support their child's learningthrough focused, targeted practice at home.  SERIES INFORMATIONPacked with engaging activities and confidence-boosting practice,these targeted workbooks help children stay on track with theirlearning while having fun at the same time.Also available in this series Comprehension, Grammar and Punctuation,Handwriting, and Spelling and Vocabulary. These workbookshelp keep children motivated, engaged and support them as theyachieve mastery of English.

With a foreword by Judy Woodruff, The Unexpected Journey of Caring is a practical guide to finding personal meaning in the 21st century care experience.Personal transformation is usually an experience we actively seek out—not one that hunts us down. Becoming a caregiver is one transformation that comes at us, requiring us to rethink everything we once knew. Everything changes—responsibilities, beliefs, hopes, expectations, and relationships. Caregiving is not just a role reserved for “saints”—eventually, everyone is drafted into the caregiver role. It’s not a role people medically train for; it’s a new type of relationship initiated by a loved one’s need for care. And it’s a role that cannot be quarantined to home because it infuses all aspects of our lives.Caregivers today find themselves in need of a crash course in new and unfamiliar skills. They must not only care for a loved one, but also access hidden community resources, collaborate with medical professionals, craft new narratives consistent with the changing nature of their care role, coordinate care with family, seek information and peer support using a variety of digital platforms, and negotiate social support—all while attempting to manage conflicts between work, life, and relationship roles. The moments that mark us in the transition from loved one to caregiver matter because if we don’t make sense of how we are being transformed, we risk undervaluing our care experiences, denying our evolving beliefs, becoming trapped by other’s misunderstandings, and feeling underappreciated, burned out, and overwhelmed. Informed by original caregiver research and proven advocacy strategies, this book speaks to caregiving as it unfolds, in all of its confusion, chaos, and messiness. Readers won’t find well-intentioned clichés or care stereotypes in this book. There are no promises to help caregivers return to a life they knew before caregiving. No, this book greets caregivers where they are in their journey—new or chronic—not where others expect (or want) them to be.

With a foreword by Judy Woodruff, The Unexpected Journey of Caring is a practical guide to finding personal meaning in the 21st century care experience.Personal transformation is usually an experience we actively seek out—not one that hunts us down. Becoming a caregiver is one transformation that comes at us, requiring us to rethink everything we once knew. Everything changes—responsibilities, beliefs, hopes, expectations, and relationships. Caregiving is not just a role reserved for “saints”—eventually, everyone is drafted into the caregiver role. It’s not a role people medically train for; it’s a new type of relationship initiated by a loved one’s need for care. And it’s a role that cannot be quarantined to home because it infuses all aspects of our lives.Caregivers today find themselves in need of a crash course in new and unfamiliar skills. They must not only care for a loved one, but also access hidden community resources, collaborate with medical professionals, craft new narratives consistent with the changing nature of their care role, coordinate care with family, seek information and peer support using a variety of digital platforms, and negotiate social support—all while attempting to manage conflicts between work, life, and relationship roles. The moments that mark us in the transition from loved one to caregiver matter because if we don’t make sense of how we are being transformed, we risk undervaluing our care experiences, denying our evolving beliefs, becoming trapped by other’s misunderstandings, and feeling underappreciated, burned out, and overwhelmed. Informed by original caregiver research and proven advocacy strategies, this book speaks to caregiving as it unfolds, in all of its confusion, chaos, and messiness. Readers won’t find well-intentioned clichés or care stereotypes in this book. There are no promises to help caregivers return to a life they knew before caregiving. No, this book greets caregivers where they are in their journey—new or chronic—not where others expect (or want) them to be.

"This product will save teachers hours of time planning anddifferentiating reading and comprehension activities." PrimaryteacherHelp children master core English skillsrequired for success at school and beyond. Matched to the curriculum,our acclaimed Scholastic English Skills series is fullof easy ways to teach the essentials. An ideal Englishtoolkit for the primary yearsGets children speaking,reading and writing confidentlyTackles common problems thathold back progressSaves time with inspiring ready-madelesson ideas, activities and postersIncludes detailedbackground knowledge and teacher notesKey comprehensionskills are covered chapter by chapter, including predicting, clarifyingand questioning.Real non-fiction and fiction textsare used throughout and are leveled by reading ages for differentiation.>Areview chapter offers children a chance topractice all their skills.The CD-ROM contains interactiveactivities for the whiteboard, perfect for starter or plenaryactivitiesUse this comprehension teacher's book,along with the linked pupil workbook, to help children understandwhat they read and hear. The content includes summarising texts,predicting, scanning for meaning, interpreting characters and muchmore.(Previously published under the ScholasticLiteracy Skills series)

"This product will save teachers hours of time planning anddifferentiating reading and comprehension activities." PrimaryteacherHelp children master core English skillsrequired for success at school and beyond. Matched to the curriculum,our acclaimed Scholastic English Skills series is fullof easy ways to teach the essentials. An ideal Englishtoolkit for the primary yearsGets children speaking,reading and writing confidentlyTackles common problems thathold back progressSaves time with inspiring ready-madelesson ideas, activities and postersIncludes detailedbackground knowledge and teacher notesKey comprehensionskills are covered chapter by chapter, including predicting, clarifyingand questioning.Real non-fiction and fiction textsare used throughout and are leveled by reading ages for differentiation.>Areview chapter offers children a chance topractice all their skills.The CD-ROM contains interactiveactivities for the whiteboard, perfect for starter or plenaryactivitiesUse this comprehension teacher's book,along with the linked pupil workbook, to help children understandwhat they read and hear. The content includes summarising texts,predicting, scanning for meaning, interpreting characters and muchmore.(Previously published under the ScholasticLiteracy Skills series)

"This product will save teachers hours of time planning anddifferentiating reading and comprehension activities." PrimaryteacherHelp children master core English skillsrequired for success at school and beyond. Matched to the curriculum,our acclaimed Scholastic English Skills series is fullof easy ways to teach the essentials. An ideal Englishtoolkit for the primary yearsGets children speaking,reading and writing confidentlyTackles common problems thathold back progressSaves time with inspiring ready-madelesson ideas, activities and postersIncludes detailedbackground knowledge and teacher notesKey comprehensionskills are covered chapter by chapter, including predicting, clarifyingand questioning.Real non-fiction and fiction textsare used throughout and are leveled by reading ages for differentiation.>Areview chapter offers children a chance topractice all their skills.The CD-ROM contains interactiveactivities for the whiteboard, perfect for starter or plenaryactivitiesUse this comprehension teacher's book,along with the linked pupil workbook, to help children understandwhat they read and hear. The content includes summarising texts,predicting, scanning for meaning, interpreting characters and muchmore.(Previously published under the ScholasticLiteracy Skills series)

"This product will save teachers hours of time planning anddifferentiating reading and comprehension activities." PrimaryteacherHelp children master core English skillsrequired for success at school and beyond. Matched to the curriculum,our acclaimed Scholastic English Skills series is fullof easy ways to teach the essentials. An ideal Englishtoolkit for the primary yearsGets children speaking,reading and writing confidentlyTackles common problems thathold back progressSaves time with inspiring ready-madelesson ideas, activities and postersIncludes detailedbackground knowledge and teacher notesKey comprehensionskills are covered chapter by chapter, including predicting, clarifyingand questioning.Real non-fiction and fiction textsare used throughout and are leveled by reading ages for differentiation.>Areview chapter offers children a chance topractice all their skills.The CD-ROM contains interactiveactivities for the whiteboard, perfect for starter or plenaryactivitiesUse this comprehension teacher's book,along with the linked pupil workbook, to help children understandwhat they read and hear. The content includes summarising texts,predicting, scanning for meaning, interpreting characters and muchmore.(Previously published under the ScholasticLiteracy Skills series)

A riveting and redemptive family memoir, The Four Walls of My Freedom is Donna Thomson’s account of raising a son with cerebral palsy and a passionate appeal to change the way we think about “the good life.”Donna Thomson’s life was forever changed when her son Nicholas was born with cerebral palsy. A former actor, director, and teacher, Donna became his primary caregiver and embarked on a second career as a disability activist, author, and consultant.Thomson vividly describes her experience in treading delicately through daily care, emergencies, and medical bureaucracy as she and her family cope with her son’s condition while maintaining value and dignity (for Nicholas, too). She brilliantly demonstrates the vital contribution that people with disabilities make to our society and addresses the ethics and economics of giving and receiving care.Featuring an introduction by John Ralston Saul, and two new chapters, The Four Walls of My Freedom is a passionate appeal to change to the way we think about the “good life” that will touch anyone caring for the life of another.