Sounds Right Phonics Dartford

Next week, I am going to be launching a very special new class at Heathfield Court Care Home, in Erith. This class will have the same fun and energy that comes with every Sounds Right Phonics class, but we will also be joined each week by the residents of Heathfield Court, making it our first regular intergenerational class. Why attend an intergenerational class? There has been a lot of research revealing that these classes bring substantial benefits to the community. For the care home residents, the classes are a valuable opportunity to interact with others, and experience life beyond the care home. Loneliness amongst the elderly is a huge problem in this country, and the classes offer the residents a chance to make meaningful connections with others.They look forward to seeing the children and the parents. Other nursing homes in the UK that run similar intergenerational classes have also reported that daily interactions between the residents themselves have become more positive, as t...

When I was at university, and having a tricky time, a friend gave me a Christmas card, and had written nolite te bastardes carborundum at the bottom. I was baffled by this coded message, and it was then that I had to admit, to my coursemate’s horror, that I had never read The Handmaid’s Tale . This was particularly shocking as I was studying English Literature, with a specialism in feminist perspectives. Needless to say, this was quickly remedied. This time, with the follow-up, The Testaments , I was determined not to be late to the party. I always used to tell my students that dystopia is never really about the future, it is a warning to the present generation, and The Testaments , like its predecessor, is a tale for our times, albeit one that gives us an inkling of hope. The Handmaid’s Tale was published in 1985, and was seen as a commentary on the dangers posed by the return of ultra right-wing policies to US politics. Ironically, nearly twenty-five years later, it has become ...

When I went into hospital to have Julia four years ago, I literally had no idea how long to expect to be there. I was looking at the prospect of being induced, and potentially having to spend days in hospital. In my bag, I packed the three books that I knew would give me comfort in an unfamiliar environment: Pride and Prejudice, I Capture the Castle and Little Women. Of all three, it ended up being the last that I turned to that night. As soon as I got to that first page, it was like my four best friends jumped out of the page to hold my hand and see me through. It is the charm of the four main characters that makes reading this novel feel like coming home. Alcott captures their voices and personalities so beautifully, and makes them vivid and lovable, despite and perhaps even owing to their individual flaws. Growing up, it was quite impossible for me not to love a book about a girl called Jo who loves reading and wants to be a writer. She is talented and stubborn, but also fiercel...

The book I have decided to start off the blog with is a classic, but when I look back to my childhood it is the definitive book that stands out time and time again. After all, if ever there was a champion for any child who loves to read, it is Roald Dahl’s Matilda. It is always difficult to pin down exactly what it is about a book that you love, when the book is so deeply ingrained in your childhood. I remember reading Matilda again and again almost obsessively, never tiring of the characters and the story. It is hard as an adult to try and break down and explain the magical experiences of childhood. But here it goes… first and foremost, I love the intelligence and wit of Matilda, combined with her child’s need for love and affection. Watching her take on the adults in her life and win is hilarious, but the way in which she discovers a new maternal figure in Miss Honey, is also deeply moving. It is essentially the narrative of two lonely outsiders who find each other, and remin...