Connectors Ages 11+: Human Barriers - The Walls of the World

Connectors is a groundbreaking reciprocal reading series which narrows the attainment gap through peer-to-peer learning. Children work in small independent groups, each taking short turns to be the leader as they read a book together and debate issues raised in the text.

Clear prompts represented by coloured faces show each child when it is their turn to read and lead, and how to focus the discussion to engage their team members. This exciting approach builds reading and listening skills, promotes successful teamwork and encourages every child to participate.

The Sutton Trust ranks peer tutoring as one of the most effective ways to improve achievement, with disadvantaged and low achieving pupils making particular gains. Formal classroom trials of Connectors show children’s reading age leaping forward by an average of 9.1 months in just 12 weeks. Class guided reading time is also increased by up to five times.

Human Barriers explores the role of walls in world cultures. When we think of walls, we usually think of the structures that hold up our homes and schools. But people have been building walls around territories for thousands of years. What purposes do these barriers serve?