Inspiring the Next Generation of Readers with Mat Tobin

Mat Tobin, Senior Lecturer in Primary English, discusses the importance of fostering a love for reading and writing in primary education.

Mat shares insights from his experiences and highlights the importance of creating a reading-friendly environment in classrooms.

Through the conversation, he also presents numerous strategies for aiding young readers, such as involving parents in reading, using quality literature, and balancing phonics with comprehension.

The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by teachers, the role of the Department for Education, and the need for a supportive curriculum that allows for creativity and joy in learning.

• Encourage parents to get involved in their children's reading activities to enhance their engagement and literacy skills.
• Balance the focus on phonics with reading comprehension to ensure children can understand and enjoy what they read, rather than just decode.
• Create a joyful and supportive classroom environment that fosters a love for reading and writing, allowing children to express themselves freely.
• Empower teachers to have the confidence and flexibility to inspire and engage students, rather than strictly adhering to a rigid curriculum.

Mat Tobin teaches English and Children's Literature in both the Primary BA and PGCE ITT courses. He also leads an MA/PGCert Course in Children's Literature and Reading for Pleasure. Since joining Brookes in 2014 after 16 years of Primary teaching in Oxfordshire, Mat is continually invited to deliver keynotes and workshops across the UK on Reading for Pleasure, Picture books and engaging children (and all stakeholders) in the reading and writing process.

He is currently writing a doctorate on Children's Literature and using the outdoors: he is interested in the link between comprehension, language and locality through high-quality children's literature. In 2021 his co-written book, Understanding and Teaching Primary English, was published by Sage.

Mat is also passionate about sharing the high quality work that his students do on his module. These cross-curricular plans that focus on the teacher 'knowing the text' and 'blending objectives across the curriculum' are shared publicly and well-received across the social media community.

Keep up with Mat's work at @‌Mat_at_Brookes

Download the Hamilton Brookes' Primary Pledge card to continue the conversation with your teaching community. Share your pledge card by tagging Hamilton Brookes on your preferred social platform.

• Host: Ed Finch
• Producer: Laura Wilkes, Communicating for Impact
• Executive Producer: Joanna Borysiak, Hamilton Brookes
• Recorded and edited by: Story Ninety-Four

Primary Futures podcast is supported by funding from Oxford Brookes’ Small Knowledge Exchange Awards.