What can Picture News resources be used for? Let’s find out how you can make the most out of your Picture News resources! The packs are versatile, with multiple uses across school, which can help you effectively embed the resources for sustained and meaningful engagement with topical events. You might like to use your resources for: Teacher-led assemblies Whole school or key stage – the resources provide a topical focus for your assemblies. They’re ready-made, so no need to spend hours planning! Pupil-led assemblies Involve the children in running assemblies with a topical theme. Picture News resources create a great opportunity for children to take ownership of their assemblies, and present and lead to share the news with their peers. Classroom discussions Talking about the big question in smaller groups or classes can support productive, meaningful conversations. It’s a time to practise active listening, and show empathy for differing views. Interventions The key takeaways and skills developed with Picture News mean the resources can aid interventions in school. Some settings use Picture News for 1-1 sessions, Prevent, or with EAL learners and SEND learners. Extracurricular clubs or activities Maybe you want to host ‘Tuesday News-day’ or debate clubs – Picture News big questions and topics provide a stimulus for discussion! Some schools use Picture News during their breakfast clubs, to prompt thought-provoking chats at the start of the day. Displays and floor books Interchangeable news displays can engage everyone in current affairs; the big poster creates an engaging focus for displays. Alternatively, schools create floor books with their resources, showcasing different topics and children’s responses! Home-school links Each pack includes a Take Home resource, to share the weekly news topic with families. This can enhance home-school connections, with discussion starters and questions included to extend learning beyond school. Watch the video below, which shares examples from our schools of how they use their Picture News resources! Some quick tips for using Picture News! Start in the morning Exploring topical events, whether in the classroom or during assemblies, works well at the start of the school day. Talking about the news in the morning means children have plenty of time to share any further questions, concerns or ideas with you throughout the day about what they've learned. Starting early also creates more opportunities to reflect on or link to the topics you’ve encountered together! Focus on images Each Picture News pack is based on a main news story, with an engaging image and open big question. Focusing on imagery related to topical events, alongside written articles or broadcast reports, can make what’s happening in the world more accessible and child-friendly. Images offer helpful visual context for children to comprehend events, providing an engaging stimulus for conversations, thoughts and reflection. You’ll also find useful videos linked within each pack, along with Virtual Picture News – a short video, hosted by our education consultants, which explores the news story in more detail and offers points to think and discuss together. Drawing on a variety of mediums, including images and videos, can support children in relating to what’s going on in the world, laying important foundations for insightful conversations and taking learning further. Make it child-led Picture News resources are talk-based, encouraging meaningful conversations between children, their peers and teachers about current affairs. Use this opportunity to let your pupils practise leadership and teamwork. Many schools let their pupils lead on Picture News sessions, from planning and preparing, to presenting and leading assemblies. This is a great way to boost their confidence, and work on important communication and time management skills. Whilst sharing Picture News resources in school, follow the interests and ideas children express – each school’s Picture News session is unique! Often, the news can highlight or enhance children’s awareness of events, professions, hobbies, issues etc (and so raises their cultural capital). This means that by exploring the news, children may establish new interests or passions, which could otherwise remain undiscovered or unknown. As a teacher, nurture these interests and encourage children to live out their potential! Involve the wider community Make use of the resources beyond your school setting, and consider sending them home to parents and carers. Our Take Home resource is designed to build on your home-school links, to extend children's Picture News learning at home. Encourage families to engage with the weekly stories and hold news-based discussions. We also send out a termly newsletter to share with parents – including tips for handling sensitive news with children, supporting children online, and recapping on Picture News topics to talk about further. Sign up to receive our newsletter updates here. Embed the resources around school Earlier we outlined the many ways Picture News can be used within schools. Using these ideas (or other ways that best fit your setting), make Picture News a regular part of your school routine. Weekly news sessions can lead to meaningful discoveries about what’s happening in the world. Developing this routine can develop children’s confidence, proficiency, and familiarity with exploring news. Extending the resources around school highlights the value of your Picture News resources, and increases opportunities for everyone to learn from current affairs. Create interchangeable displays to consolidate learning Lots of our schools find Picture News resources useful for creating topical, interchangeable displays! Not only does this consolidate children’s learning and offers meaningful reminders of what they’ve discovered in the news, it’s a great way to involve all members of your school community in current affairs. Consider placing your display in a communal area in school. News displays can make for interesting conversations with parents and visitors, too! Think about involving the pupils in your display, including their thoughts on the big question and any work they’ve done relating to the resources. Learn more – training videos! We've created some quick training videos, to help you get to grips with Picture News resources and offer inspiration for how you might use them in your setting. Click here to check them out.
