FAQs
Squiz Kids Classroom offers curriculum-aligned podcasts and resources that use the news to teach critical literacy skills.
Of course not! We developed Squiz Kids Classroom with primary teachers and home educators in mind - particularly for those working with Year 2-6 students. But we have plenty of parents using our resources, too! Not to mention librarians, administrators, teacher-trainers, and after school tutors.
- Differentiated classroom activities, aligned to the Squiz Kids Today podcast and to the Australian curriculum. Available at 3.30pm (AEST) on Sunday before the podcast is released on Monday, so you can plan and prepare for the next day.
- A fortnightly Squiz Kids Shortcut podcast - with comprehension and extension activities aligned to the Squiz Kids Shortcut podcast.
- A fortnightly Squiz the World podcast - an audio excursion to a different country each week
- A range of teaching resources that’ll help you unleash a world of creativity and understanding about the news and literacy.
We know that predictability is a good thing in teaching… so we’ve mapped out a plan for the term, which you can find here.
We like to keep up with what's happening in the world, so we'll email the week before to let you know what's coming up in Squiz the World or Shortcuts for the following week.
We love the planet too! Every Classroom Companion and Shortcut activity is created as both a fillable or printable PDF and as Google Slides. Just make a copy of the slides and assign them to your students!
Our target audience is Stage 2 and Stage 3 primary students, aka years 2-6. But every teacher knows that the average classroom spans three grade levels, so each Squiz Kids Classroom Companion and Shortcut comes with three levels of literacy resources. A general rule of thumb to our astronomical system is:
Moon: Years 2-4
Star: Years 3-5
Sun: Year 5+
As the school year progresses, each level will also get more challenging.
In lots of different ways! Some use them in small groups during literacy blocks; others do one level with the whole class. Some assign it for homework, others as an extension exercise. Some display the activities on the screen and discuss; others print and have it waiting on desks for each child in the morning. You’ll get into your own rhythm!
We’d love to hear it! Email Christie at [email protected]
We're Bryce Corbett, Amanda Bower, Christie Kijurina, and Emma Bromell. You can read more about us here—but for now, rest assured that we are a combo of teachers, journalists, and parents (one of us all three!).
Squiz Kids is part of The Squiz - an independent media business that specialises in agenda-free news and information. You should check them out for your shortcut to news for older people - there's a weekday newsletter and podcast, as well as Shortcuts to all sorts of topics that are in the news.