In my classroom, editions of First News are kept in our book corner where children enjoy taking their own hard copy every week.

All the children in my class are really engaged with the newspaper and the reading resources that accompany it. They enjoy the activities and find the stories included in the issues very interesting.

Children are encouraged to find out about news and to actually read the stories in order to answer comprehension questions. The iHub is also great in both guided reading sessions as an activity and as an additional homework tool. Even those who struggle to read find the challenge they need in the newspaper.

They choose to read the articles in First News, where they might not be so keen to. One child in my class in particular really struggled to read and did not enjoy guided reading sessions. However, he very happily gets a laptop, reads the article and is able to discuss the stories.

The children in my class all love First News and frequently make links between the things they hear in the news and read in the newspaper.