A CATALOGUE of disasters including fires, floods and motorway mayhem hit the headlines as young reporters in Accrington filled front pages with dramatic news.

The activity, run in class by NIE Co-ordinator Rita Shaw, was just one of the events of a busy Book Week at St Oswald's RC Primary School, aimed at encouraging the reading habit.

Pupils in years three and four at the school plundered traditional nursery rhymes to find exciting new stories. The familiar tale of Miss Muffet became a warning of a tarantula spider on the loose, while Bo-peep's sheep wandered onto the motorway causing rush hour chaos.

Meanwhile, in years five and six, facts about the real events of Book Week, including story telling, visiting theatre group performances and a fancy dress parade, were being gathered and written in snappy journalistic style for publication in a school newsletter.

Teachers in both classes agreed that their pupils had learned a great deal about different writing styles and the power of words.

"I'm really proud of the way in which my pupils rose to the challenge," said class teacher Rebecca Moulden. "The newspaper task wasn't easy but they achieved a lot in just one day and managed to have fun at the same time. The activity also fits in well with work done in our Literacy Hour, and is something the children will remember."

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