Reading for Remembrance

Posted on 2 November 2022

As we begin November, many of us will be thinking about Remembrance, and how we plan to remember this year. Britain and the Commonwealth Nations have a rich history of marking Remembrance in different ways across communities, cultures and even continents, but how do we pass Remembrance to the younger generation?

Whilst we continue to mark Remembrance in many different ways, reflecting our rich and diverse heritage, a gap between the experiences of each generation means that many young people are less aware of the Service which keeps us safe, and of why we remember.

To help bridge this gap, we need to make sure that Remembrance is relevant, engaging and available to all. For many children, Remembrance is taught through History and PSHE, but the Teaching Remembrance project at the Royal British Legion (RBL) is working to provide more options for teachers and parents to help pass the torch of Remembrance.

This year, Scholastic and the RBL have created Book Club resources for Key Stage 2 and 3, giving children the opportunity to explore Remembrance through fiction. Based on Please Write Soon by Michael Rosen, these resources are a new and different way to discover and discuss why Remembrance is relevant in our lives today.

Rosen’s new short novel focuses on the story of cousins Bernie and Solly, as they share their experiences of living through the Second World War. Communicating through letters, the boys describe the impact of conflict on their lives, giving each other hope even when separated by thousands of miles.

Teachers can use the Book Club resources to compliment reading this text with their classes, drawing out the characters and events which bring Remembrance to life. Featuring a wide variety of activities such as discussions, debates, letter writing and poppy art, these materials combine engaging content with National Curriculum requirements. Teachers can be confident that their students will develop a deeper understanding of Remembrance, as well as practicing key skills.

There are many different ways to remember, and we unite across faiths, cultures and backgrounds to remember the Service of those who protect our freedoms and ways of life. Whether through the Please Write Soon Book Clubs, Remembrance events, art, music, or in new ways, we hope children will engage and connect with Remembrance this year.

Explore the Please Write Soon Book Clubs on the Scholastic Resource Bank, as well as the rest of the RBL’s Teaching Remembrance offer here.

Sophie Lawes is Education Officer at the Royal British Legion. She led a Scholastic Reading CPD session on Reading for Remembrance: Teaching Remembrance through fiction with the Royal British Legion. Watch back here.