With a record number of submissions, ranging from action research into pre-school family literacies, through primary practice in reading and writing, to policy issues at all phases, the judging panel were faced with a challenging task. After much debate four books were selected for the shortlist. These all make unique contributions to the field. Each foregrounds a different aspect of literacy education. Two deal principally with the development of literacy skills at the primary phase. Clements and Tobin provide guidance to both trainee teachers and teachers on the practical application of theory to the teaching of reading, writing and oracy in their classrooms, while Young and Ferguson provide a range of ideas to encourage pupils to develop enjoyment in writing while also developing the skills needed to express their ideas effectively. Focusing on ‘knowledge’, Elliot raises questions as to what this means for the teacher of secondary English and who gets to decide what is actually taught. Finally, Su Li Chong’s edited collection adds a global perspective, describing and reflecting on literacy experiences and policies in East and South-east Asia.
The shortlist was chosen by the UKLA Awards committee. The final panel will be chaired by Gabrielle Cliff-Hodges, Retired Senior Lecturer in Education, University of Cambridge Faculty of Education.
The winner will be announced at the UKLA International Conference July 2022
Shortlist: UKLA Academic Book Award 2022
Clements, James & Tobin, Matthew Understanding and Teaching Primary English (Sage)
Elliot, Velda Knowledge in English (Routledge/NATE)
Su Li Chong (ed) Charting an Asian Trajectory for Literacy Education: Connecting Past, Present and Future (Routledge)
Young, Ross and Ferguson, Felicity Writing for Pleasure – theory, research and practice (Routledge)
Understanding and Teaching Primary English Theory into Practice James Clements and Mathew Tobin (Sage publishing)
This is an inspiring and rich resource for student teachers and experienced practitioners. Both theory and research are included, tracing the history and development of what is to be taught as well as offering plenty of ideas about how to do this. It is comprehensive in its coverage of curriculum areas, ranging from Early Years to the end of KS2. There are also many useful Case Studies and ‘Stop and Reflect’ panels.
The book is full of practical advice and strategies to support teaching and develop subject knowledge. It would be a great addition to any Primary teacher’s resource for teaching and learning.
Knowledge in English Velda Elliot (Routledge/NATE)
Through this book, Elliott takes on the important, and much contested issue, of ‘what knowledge looks like in a secondary English curriculum’. Drawing on theory and concrete examples of practice, Elliot critically examines the place of knowledge in the English (literature) curriculum, a discipline which relies heavily on personal interpretation, raising questions about what and whose knowledge we should be focused on, and where the skills we want the children to develop fit into this knowledge-centric landscape. Suitable for researchers, teachers and teacher educators, this book feels very timely.
Charting an Asian Trajectory for Literacy Education: Connecting Past, Present and Future Su Li Chong (ed) (Routledge)
This volume, edited by the 2021 winner of the UKLA Diversity and Inclusion: Brenda Eastwood Award, represents “the beginning of a systematic, theoretical, autobiographically and auto-bibliographically informed Asian trajectory that can influence policy underpinning literacy education in Asia.” The researchers represented are from Brunei, China, Kong Hong, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Not only does this book shine a light on the theory and practice of literacy teaching in the medium of English across Asian countries, but it also enables UK readers to reflect on their own practice in multicultural and multilingual settings. The editor has grouped contributions by theme and she provides a very clear synopsis of the articles and the way they illustrate those themes.
Writing for Pleasure – theory, research and practice Ross Young and Felicity Ferguson (Routledge)
This book explores the possibility for a radical change in how writing is taught. Based on their sound, diverse and inclusive research the authors include explanations of relevant theory and examples of what exceptional teachers of writing do that makes a difference. Their ambitious mission is to help all young people to become passionate and successful writers.
The authors were moved to write the book because of the current underachievement in writing. They propose a rigorous, holistic and inclusive philosophy and pedagogy for writing. A central premise of this book is ‘What we learn with pleasure we never forget’ (Alfred Mercier).
Within this book, teachers, teacher educators and students are encouraged to be reflective and innovative. This trailblazing text is essential reading for anyone working with the goal to grow whole schools of extraordinary writers.
