Reflective Learning

Content

Reflective Learning provides KS2 teachers with essential background information for key Christian beliefs and offers important tools to instil confidence in the teaching of RE. The material focuses on three key concepts related to the principal beliefs of the Christian faith as follows:

• Key Concept One: Who God is (the Trinity) - Three units comprising the stories of creation, re-creation and baptism
• Key Concept Two:: What God has done (Salvation) - Five units comprising the stories of Christmas and Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost
• Key Concept Three: The Church today - Three units relating to the journey of life: belonging and believing, sharing and caring, and patterns for living.

Each unit starts with an in-depth classroom-based exploration of the concept, with background information for the teacher, ideas for exploring the story, questions about the story, introductory tasks, key symbols, and ideas for understanding the story through the five senses. The classroom material for each unit is supported by two comprehensive outlines for acts of collective worship for assembly, each of which follows a common format, including ideas for applying the material and suggestions for songs and prayers.

Alongside the class work and assembly material, creative ideas are given for setting up a theme-based focus table for the classroom.

'It is the fundamentally lived nature of religion that is usually hardest to capture in the classroom, and so I believe that in this book Trevor Reader and Lillian Weatherley have provided us with a resource of real, and to my knowledge unique, importance. I recommend it very warmly indeed.
- Kenneth Stevenson, Bishop of Portsmouth

Endorsements

... a resource of real, and to my knowledge unique, importance. I recommend it very warmly indeed.
Kenneth Stevenson, Bishop of Portsmouth

Author info

Trevor Reader is the Archdeacon of Portsdown, and Chairman of the Portsmouth Diocesan Board of Education. He has led both teacher and clergy training and worked extensively with Lilian Weatherley to produce materials for collective worship and the Eucharist.Lilian Weatherley is the Diocesan RE and Schools' Adviser for the Diocese of Portsmouth and Winchester. She is an OFSTED and Section 48 inspector and has written a wide range of materials on RE and collective worship.

• View other titles by Trevor Reader and Lilian Weatherley

Reviews

From RE Today - Autumn 2009

Reflective Learning offers 11 teaching units most suitable for children in KS2. Each unit addresses one of three key concepts: the Trinity, Salvation and the Church. The units are similarly structured, beginning with useful and comprehensive background information for the teacher. Brief suggestions are then made regarding a relevant passage from the Bible and questions to support exploration of the story. There are interesting suggested tasks and a clear explanation of the symbols in the story.

Each unit has suggestions for exploring the story using a selection of the senses: particularly useful are the suggestions of works of art to support the story. All the works of art discussed can be found on the web and then displayed on the interactive whiteboard. It is this section that is the strength of the book. The suggestions on engaging the senses are thoughtful and will encourage deep thinking and reflection.

The units go on to link the RE learning to a reflection table in the classroom and then two ideas for collective worship. Suggestions are made for prayers and music to use during worship. Whilst the ideas here are good I feel they are most suitable for those teaching in Church schools.

This book offers good support for the teacher who needs confidence teaching key Christian beliefs and concepts. It is packed with information and ideas particularly suitable for use in Church schools. The suggestions on teaching with the senses are imaginative and thought provoking.

Reviewed by Fiona Moss

From Association of Christian Teachers - July 2009

Trevor Reading and Lilian Weatherley

This useful A5 book contains 11 teaching units based around three major concepts. The three areas cover Who God is [The Trinity], What God has done and The Church Today [Reflective Living]. Its two authors, Trevor Reader and Lilian Weatherley, are no strangers to the RE world.

Each unit gives in depth background with ideas for exploring the story, key questions to ask, and activities all explored through the five senses. There are also pointers for setting up a theme based focus table for the classroom to reflect the learning taking place.

The first concept of Trinity includes recreation and baptism. The second concept of Salvation explores ideas for Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost; while the third concept of Reflective Living engages with the journey of life and what it means to belong and believe.

There is a really good resources section suggesting music, websites and other books.

A wealth of ideas! Recommended.

Reviewed by Lizzie McWhirter.

Book details

• ISBN: 9781841015736
• Published: 20 February 2009
• Status:
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 192