Key stage 12
Pause for Reflection: A Resource for Spiritual Development in Schools. Developed by education advisers from Anglican dioceses in the South West of England.
pound;14 from Diocese of Gloucester Resource Centre, 9 College Green, Gloucester GL12LX E-mail: glosrerc@star.co.uk
Tel: 01452 385217
This is a pack of 15 laminated cards designed to get children thinking about spiritual matters.
The materials have been extensively tested in schools, and it shows. This resource will be a real help to teachers in an area which many find difficult.
The aim is to offer a focus for reflection, and the pack, which can be used in different ways, consists of a set of photographs. Each picture shows a display designed to stimulate thought about a particular topic.
There are themes suitable for both key stages, ranging from a celebration of the sense of touch, to a prayer net and a reflection on the work of Amnesty International.
On the back of each picture, a simple text lists resources needed to make the display, useful words and ideas for preparing the children and reviewing their ideas. There’s lots of emphasis on first-hand experience - children are expected to touch and explore the artefacts on display and the activities are very well chosen.
The pack could be used to develop a thinking corner, or as the basis for an assembly or the focus in circle time. Well worth looking at.