What is the point of literacy?

It is often the case that literacy games (as in “change one letter at a time to make ‘hat’ into ‘cap’ in two moves”) enhances an interest in and an understanding of the language.

When we go further and link such games to the world of work, we broaden the horizons of the children not only in terms of literacy, but also in terms of the wider world.

Most children find questions such as “change ‘this is the way to the park’ into a question” interesting in themselves. But when correct answers take the children forward in a board game based on careers, the enthusiasm, and the level of learning, is enhanced.

Career Detectives – a teaching resource centred around a board game – does just this by providing a range of stimulating information about careers across all sectors within the context of a set of literacy and other activities that can be completed in the classroom.

When we ask, “What is a migration?” and suggest the answer might be “a bad headache” (as well of course as the correct answer,) we are taking the children into the very essence of the language with all its curiosities and oddities of connection.

But while we are also working within the format of the game we enhance and raise awareness of key skills including team work, communication, leadership, creativity and confidence.

Career Detectives has within it enough material for an entire term’s work. It also works on a diverse range of issues from key skills to healthy eating, from personal attitudes to citizenship.

At the same time it helps pupils to discover all about the world of work and which careers may interest them.

What’s more, using Career Detectives can also enhance your outcomes when Ofsted inspect as it enables you to demonstrate spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in your school. It also helps in a number of other areas, details of which can be found on our website.

In a world in which many people are perceived to be successful irrespective of their education, Career Detectives offers a stimulating alternative vision.

There is more information available on Career Detectives here.