Written by Ian Warwick, founder of London Gifted and Talented, this practical guide offers English teachers news ways of thinking about teaching the more able, together with strategies to implement in the classroom straightaway.

Part 1 The Background 1. Analysing the Backstory: How did English Lose Its Way? 2. Redefining the Discipline: What's the point of teaching English? 3. Overcoming the Hurdles: What barriers block the highest achievement? 4. Driving Engagement in English: Why are 'manageable gaps' so important? 5. Investigating the Theory: What can current research add to our teaching? Part 2 The Classroom 6. Moving into the Linguistic Universe (ages 8-11): Taking learners into the 'art and craft of writing' 7. Discovering the Long Road to Me through Short Stories (ages 11-14): Moving learners into new territories 8. Crafting Perfected Attention through Poetry (ages 14-16): Encouraging learners to 'extend their maps of experience' 9. Disturbing the Peace through Drama (ages 14-16): Helping learners 'to feel what wretches feel' 10. Exploring Structure and Meaning through Film (ages 16+): Offering learners different representations of reality Glossary Index