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The author suggests methods to improve the reading skills of the students.

Details of the 'What Money Means' campaign aimed at improving financial education in primary schools and developing a saving tendency in children are presented.

A teachers' training course in improving communications teaches a basic skills lecturer that sometimes a person creates his or her own fears that are not necessarily real, and shows him that good communication is the key to overcoming those fears.

Several suggestions are presented on how teachers can help children with special education needs be included in school playtimes.

The role of libraries in nurturing the reading habits of students is vital. The different facilities rendered by the libraries in order to promote and widen the reading areas.

John Bird's Quick Reads book 'How to Change Your Life in Seven Steps' recommends setting small manageable targets that will eventually help to reach the final goal. A basic skills teacher describes her efforts to help her pupils, as well as herself, take small steps to meet the final target.

'Which?' magazine is available on subscription that helps buyers select the best and avoid the worst products and services through product tests and supplies information. The articles are well written, illustrating a variety of styles such as sequential reports, descriptions, and case studies.

Ephemera such as junk mail and sales brochures can be a valuable source of reading material for literacy students. They are free and easier to acquire than texts. Students respond well to the practical, mundane subject matter found in such sources.

A teacher at an adult education class finds that poetry can inspire even the most reluctant basic skills student to learn, including those with severe learning difficulties at pre-entry level. Poems like Tennyson's 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' and Kit Wright's 'The Magic Box' offer students plenty of opportunity to use their creative skills.

Letter-writing is a basic skill, but there are several ways in which to teach letter-writing. The author gives the example of a grammatically incorrect letter writing by a soldier to be released after his death, and emphasises that the impact of letters depends not on their grammatical correctness, but on their content.

Many well-known authors have contributed to a new series of Quick Read tales, including Ruth Rendell, and Joanne Trollope. The series is aimed at supporting basic skills teaching for adults.

Some students will need clearance from the Criminal Records BUreau before being able to go into work placements. The forms can be unnecessarily complicated.

The Skills for Life strategy unit commissions the 'Supporting dyslexic learners in different contexts' course which is written for adult learners and focuses on practical strategies. Over 1,700 people have taken the course which starts with a training day and is followed up with distance learning.

Author relates problems encountered when a bus was purchased and converted to a mobile IT classroom in order to reach more students. Problems include parking and internal space. Persuading people to participate and board the bus is also a problem.

A personal account of being a basic skills lecturer at a college, dealing with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act, learning sign language and attending a staff Christmas party.

A personal account of working as a basic skills lecturer and the different methods of teaching that can be used.

A personal account of the difficulties involved in using student-centred learning techniques on a basic skills course for adults. Particular attention is paid to dealing with a student who professed to have no interest in anything.

A personal account of the differences between the theoretical aspects of managing a college and the realities of actually being involved in the delivery of a college's services. It is argued that, while the managers do all the talking about how services should be provided, it is actually the lecturers who are on the frontline and that much of what they do does not get acknowledged in the statistics that managers enjoy so much.

The article focuses on the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), which is a part of the British governmental education programme called Every Child Matters. The framework is discussed as one which will incorporate the social, educational, and medical health of children. The implementation of the assessment is examined and the process of utilizing the framework, such as parent involvement, is also explored.

The article focuses on autistic children. The article discusses symptoms of autism and characteristics of people with different kinds of autism. The article discusses how autism can affect a child's education, reporting that autistic children may not be able to concentrate on schoolwork or take part in group activities. The article also offers advice on teaching autistic children and provides a list of resources on autism. INSET: Teaching tips to use with autistic pupils.

The article presents information helpful to British teachers whose students include children with emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBDs). The author notes that the high level of anxiety commonly experienced by students with EBDs makes concentration difficult, and these students often are restless and find it difficult to follow directions. She provides suggestions for cooperation among parents and educators, describes teaching strategies, and suggests resources for further help. INSET: General teaching strategies.

The article presents information helpful to British teachers of students with dyslexia. The author explains the difficulties in identifying students with dyslexia, including the large range of symptoms and the students use of other strengths to cope with their difficulties. She notes the need for individualized instruction due to these factors, and she provides lists of symptoms, resources, and teaching strategies for reading and writing. INSET: Untitled.

The article presents information on working with hearing impaired students in Great Britain's schools, in recognition of deaf awareness week beginning May 7, 2007. The author explains the experiences of children with varying degrees of impairment related to environment and reading ability. The author discusses lip reading and British sign language, noting that schools that teach sign language to all enhance inclusion and the lives of all students. A list of classroom strategies is included.

The article presents information helpful to British teachers working with visually-impaired students. The author recommends beginning by learning the extent and history of the child's impairment. He discusses the use of Braille and/or Moon writing and reading, the necessity of describing graphic representations, and the importance of tone of voice. The article includes practical suggestions and specific information for use with younger children.

The article discusses the new approach to bullying in schools, which place focus on community responsibility. According to the author, around the world, an approach is being formulated in new anti-bullying programs where it involves inspiring children who witness incidents of bullying to take action. Further, the approach shifts the treatment of bullying as an individual problem to seeing as a social one. How the schemes work and how other schools respond to the matter are presented.

Are you worried about children's concentration? Perhaps a spell of exercise would help. Gill Moore talks to advocates of the increasingly popular approach that is based around the concept of ‘whole-brain' learning

Mainstream inclusion is placing growing demands on schools. As the implications become clearer, schools are taking on part-time staff with full SEN responsibility

Change is afoot as teachers welcome the prospect of an improved work/life balance, but who will do the tasks that they abandon?

You may think your school could pass an OFSTED inspection, but how will your governors bear scrutiny? By Gill Moore, a basic skills tutor and a school governor

Focuses on the strategies used in mathematics teaching at Charnwood Primary School in Lichfield, England. Use of a number square for multiplication; Impression of parents on the written methods using a matrix; Employment of a number stick in teaching division to the children; Details of the mathematics trails or a session playing games involving shapes.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "Yell – there's been an earthquake" in the December 2007 issue, "A good night's sleep" in the December 2007 issue, and "Dyslexia doubts" in the December 2007 issue.

The author discusses the use of closed circuit televisions (CCTVs) in school toilets to monitor students' activities. Particular mention is made to how unsanitary school toilets can be. "Child Education" had a competition in which schools improved some aspect of their grounds and the school where children asked that the restrooms be improved won the contest.

The author relates her experience preparing for an inspection from Great Britain's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). She describes the detailed lesson plans, curriculum references, differentiated worksheets, and individual learning plans she had ready for a full week of lessons, due to not knowing when the inspector would arrive. She relates the success of the lesson and her colleague's suggestion that she reuse it on the day the inspector actually appears.

The author relates her experience tutoring a student with learning difficulties. She notes the he gives lessons his attention for only short periods of time before he is distracted by text messaging on his cellular telephone or playing online snooker. She describes his poor diet and the day he arrived without having taken his medication, when he became verbally abusive and self destructive. She explains that in spite of this, he thinks she needs tutoring because she cannot play video games.

The author discusses her experience collecting credit accumulation transfer points as part of her continuing professional development. They remind her of the Green Shield Stamps her mother once collected to trade in for merchandise. The author envisions a similar arrangement where individual learning accounts could track educational credit points that would be redeemable for degrees or certificates.

The article presents suggestions for working with students with special needs. The author, a special needs governor in Great Britain, cautions educators not to underestimate the physical or mental abilities of students and reminds them that students benefit from appropriate challenges. She notes the need for students with disabilities to have a comfortable work space that accommodates their abilities. She includes a list of suggestions for areas such as writing, reading, and memory problems. INSET: Understand what you're working with.

The article presents the author's experience interviewing for a mentoring position in a British school. The author is an experienced educator but new to mentoring. She notes that a food spill on her interview suit distracted her, but blames herself for faltering during a surprise role-play exercise during the interview. She recognized a friend in the character the interviewer was trying to portray and let herself speak as a friend instead of a mentor, which did not impress the interview team.

The article presents a narrative of the author's experience with her basic skills students in Great Britain. She describes a class in which she uses brochures promoting Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World in Florida in an effort to teach students how to use a matrix to compare data, and she notes the increased level of enthusiasm that results from the dream of a Disney vacation. She ends with a reference to the less exciting practice in phonics.

The author discusses her hesitancy to redeem a wellness package at a day spa given as a Christmas gift. She reveals her reluctance to exercise, play racket ball, and have a masseuse touch her. In spite of her misgivings, the author makes an appointment and gives it a try, only to find she actually enjoys the day.

The author discusses the varied interests of her students in Great Britain and interweaves their passions to inspire them about writing. One student is passionate about Goth and, in reference to Edgar Allen Poe, chooses to write a story about a heavy metal band called Raven. Details are given for the interests of other students.