Following the roll-out of ‘Read, Write, Count’ earlier this session for P2 and P3 children, the Scottish Book Trust are looking for feedback from teachers and families. There are two surveys, one for teachers and one for families, with the deadline of Tuesday 28^th February 2017.

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Teacher Survey – P2 and P3 Teachers
Complete by the 28^th February for your chance to win a fun-filled Read, Write, Count Superbox with lots of games, books and resources.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RWCTeacher17

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Family Survey – Share with families of P2 and P3 children
As a family member of a P2 or P3 child, following the ‘Read, Write, Count’ packs being gifted earlier in the year, the Scottish Book Trust are looking for feedback. Complete the survey below for your chance to win a personal Read, Write, Count Goodie bag filled with books, games and activities for all the family to enjoy.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FCP6MQN

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Read, Write, Count have a new Family Engagement Campaign ‘Future Me’ which will be launched on the 20^th of February. This is an opportunity for families to see that their role in learning together is useful and purposeful, supporting their child in their hopes and dreams. This will be a great opportunity to permeate Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) through the Career Education Standard by promoting dreams, aspirations and ambitions through family engagement. More information will be shared following the launch of the campaign on the 20^th of February.

Encouraging children to develop language skills, read, and enjoy books at an early age is vital – and the earlier the better. In Highland the development of the Words Up Key Messages and Emerging Literacy support early literacy, language and communication development.

The Care Inspectorate have released new guidance for developing literacy, language and communication skills – ‘Getting Ready to Read‘ which support Early Learning and Childcare environments. This is a useful document for practitioners across the Early Level.

CLICK HERE – Getting Ready to Read

The information integrates the principles of the Words Up Key Messages and Emerging Literacy guidance. Between now and the Summer training will be available for EYPs, P1 Teachers, ASN Teachers and SMT on taking a developmental approach through Words Up and Emerging Literacy. Further information will be shared on the blog and the CPD Calendar in due course.

The Scholastic Story Starters website can be used in the classroom to support the development of ideas during the creative writing process.

Select the theme and age group then spin the lever to get a writing stimulus.

Write a short interview with a bewildered mermaid who hatches from a speckled egg.

This could be used during literacy workshops as a short or extended writing exercise. The site also allows you to create your text online.

You can also access a Teaching Guide to support the use of the resource in the classroom.

CLICK HERE – Scholastic Story Starters

P1 Teachers – The Scottish Book Trust need YOUR help to shape the future of the Primary 1 Bookbug Family Pack!

P1 Teachers – Help shape the Bookbug Primary 1 Family Bag!

Scottish Book Trust is asking Primary 1 teachers for their help in developing the Bookbug Primary 1 Family Bag by completing a short online survey. Please click here to take part in the survey, which shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to complete. By taking part, you’ll be supporting the important work of the Bookbug programme and you could win a free author visit for your school! The deadline for completing the survey is 10 February 2017.

CLICK HERE – P1 Teacher Bookbug Survey

Scottish Book Trust is also looking for feedback from families who have children in Primary 1. We would be grateful if you could share the information below with the families of P1 children in your school.

P1 Parents & Carers – Scottish Book Trust needs your help!

Every November, Scottish Book Trust gifts a free bag of books to every P1 child in Scotland to help them with their reading, writing and counting and to encourage them to develop a life-long love of books. Scottish Book Trust is asking parents and carers of children in P1 to complete a short online survey about the Bookbug Primary 1 Family Bag. Please click here to take part in the survey, which shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to complete. Your feedback will help us to improve the Bookbug P1 Family Bag in the future and you could win a free bundle of books! The deadline for completing the survey is 10 February 2017.

CLICK HERE – P1 Bookbug Family Survey

We’re always on the hunt for new ways to spark the flair within writing. Once Upon A Picture is a great blog which publishes a new image each day which can be used to inspire literacy learning with children. Each image is accompanied by a number of discussion questions which can be used to facilitate discussion.

CLICK HERE – Once Upon A Picture

For other visual media resources check out previous posts on:
Pobble 365
The Literacy Shed

During guided reading sessions within literacy workshops, either within groups or as a whole class, we often use questions to allow learners to share their knowledge and understanding about what they have read.

The National Literacy Trust’s Story Game game allows learners to consolidate their understanding of a text through a board game using questions. This could be used after reading part of or a whole text.

The resource is editable and can be used for a variety of texts simply by providing different questions for the text which has been selected.

CLICK HERE – The National Literacy Trust: Story Game

Futurelearn are offering a great free three week online course – Filmmaking and Animation in the Classroom – beginning Monday 23rd January 2017.

Course Information

This free online course will help anyone working with young people aged 5-19 to engage them in learning through simple filmmaking and animation. You’ll discover how film and animation can be used as powerful tools for encouraging active learning and enabling pupils to establish strong connections with any area of the curriculum.

This is a great opportunity to develop literacy and technologies whilst developing the Creativity Skills of curiosity, open-mindedness, imagination and problem solving.

CLICK HERE – Filmmaking and Animation in the Classroom

Check out the Media Literacy tab on the Highland Literacy blog.

This week BBC Radio 2 launched their ‘500 Word Story‘ competition.

Get your class of children between 5 and 13 motivated to write and submit stories of up to 500 words before Thursday 23rd February 2017.

For more information, click the link below:
BBC Radio 2 – 500 Word Story ABOUT

Looking for inspiration, check out some of the media resources below:
Pobble365
Literacy Shed

Here’s an Authors Live event worth catching. On Thursday 19th January 2017, 11am – 11.40am, the Scottish Book Trust have an access-all-areas event with illustrator and current Children’s Laureate, Chris Riddell.

CLICK HERE – Sign Up Authors Live Chris Riddell

Date: Thursday 19th January 2017
Time: 11am – 11.40am
Target Audience: P4 – S1

CLICK HERE – Authors Live: Chris Riddell

Scottish Book Trust have a number of curriculum linked learning resources which can be used prior to or following the Authors Live event with Chris Riddell. You can access these on the link below:

CLICK HERE – Chris Riddell: Learning Resources

A favourite is the ‘Having Fun With Illustration’ resource which can be used to support text creation, paying the due regard to the illustrative process at Second Level. You can access this by clicking the image below.

The Wee Windaes website has been developed in partnership between the National Library of Scotland and Creative Scotland aiming to raise awareness of the history, richness and cultural significance of Scots from its use as the language of the state in the Middle Ages to its appearance in 20th century novels and poetry.

CLICK HERE – Wee Windaes Website

This is a great time of year to promote the use of Scots within the classroom. A particular favourite on the website is the Popular Rhymes of Scotland section where you can listen to, read and have fun with Scots Rhymes. Within the sections on the website you will also find links to learning materials.

CLICK HERE – Popular Rhymes of Scotland