Normal Women: Sports

<P>Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and nonfiction books that children love to read. Leveled for guided and independent reading, each book includes ideas to support reading. Teaching and assessment support, as well as eBooks, are also available.</P><P>Do you picture women in the “olden days” as princesses in towers rather than super-strong sportswomen? Think again. Women dominated many sports until the 1800s, when long dresses and tight corsets slowed them down. They were told that sport would make them ill, and suddenly everyone forgot that women of all ages had run, fought, ridden, and played every kind of sport—it had simply disappeared from the history books.</P><P>Women were fast runners and skilled boxers. They played football, cricket, golf, tennis, and hockey, rode horses, and raced boats. Adapted from her bestselling, critically acclaimed series <I>Normal Women</I>, join multi-award-winning author Philippa Gregory as she uncovers the stories missing from the record. The truth is that millions of ordinary women have been doing extraordinary things forever—and many of them were succeeding in sport.</P><P>Sapphire/Band 16 books offer longer reads to help children develop sustained engagement with texts and introduce more complex syntax. Pages 54 and 55 allow children to revisit the content of the book, supporting comprehension skills, vocabulary development, and recall. Ideas for reading at the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.</P>