IMPROVE YOUR SPELLING. By Victoria Parker. IMPROVE YOUR PUNCTUATION. By Nicole Irving. IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR. By Rachel Bladon. Usborne. pound;2.99 each.

These workbooks are a useful aid to getting across the nuts and bolts of English. They are very text-heavy, as word lists, tasks and guidelines leap out at you. Some pages have up to four sections and can be utilised by teachers as “dip in” activities or for reinforcement.

Self-motivated key stage 2 pupils (particularly in Years 5 and 6) will enjoy attempting some of the puzzles and quizzes and then checking their efforts against the answers provided at the back of each text.

The illustrations are basic, but the use of colour in the lists and tables makes the text visually stimulating and entertaining.

Jonny Zucker is a teacher at West Acton primary school, Ealing