Ladybird and Read On Get On have worked collaboratively to publish Story Starters which can be used to support the development of children’s oral language. Use them in class, or recommend them for use with parents/carers.
Almost all children with Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) have difficulty with some aspect of learning to read and write.
ICan have written a short article on the link between SLCN and Literacy Difficulties – click the image below to access the article.
Check out the following support materials which can be used to close the vocabulary gap and support all children, including those with SLCN:
Highland Literacy – Pre-Teaching Vocabulary
The Communication Trust – What Works?
Highland Literacy – Speech and Language Handouts
Highland Literacy – Emerging Literacy
BBC Dot Dash is a great tool which you can use when you’re making connections between characters, events, settings or when trying to create texts of your own. Very much like your own interactive mind-map.
CLICK HERE for the Highland Literacy SOLO Taxonomy page for further information on Making Connections.
Check out a new resource from Education Scotland to support Literacy across Learning in Secondary Schools by clicking the image below.
The resource includes practical tools which practitioners can use to support the teaching of Literacy within and across the curriculum.
CLICK HERE to download the January Emerging Literacy update. In this month’s update you will find information on:
As we strive to raise attainment, taking a developmental approach to literacy will allow us to ensure that learners are building on solid foundations. Taking a developmental approach will also allow us to plug gaps in pre-reading and writing skills.
As part of our Emerging Literacy materials a Phonological Awareness Assessment has now been created to support practitioners in assessing the Phonological Awareness skills of school-age children. This can be used in the Early Level to establish a pre-reading baseline or as a screening tool with learners throughout the school who are showing signs of having literacy difficulties.
Following the assessment, the activities within the Phonological Awareness Continuum can be used to move learners through the continuum.
Click the images and links below to download the screening assessment and the accompanying picture booklet.
CLICK HERE – Phonological Awareness Assessment
CLICK HERE – Phonological Awareness Picture Booklet
A number of support resources for Phonological Awareness will be published on the blog in the coming weeks.
Want to develop Film Education and Media Literacy in your classroom?
Futurelearn are offering a great free four week online course – Teaching Literacy Through Film beginning Monday 25th January 2016.
Course Information
Over four weeks, you’ll explore a range of strategies and frameworks that you can use to engage and inspire young people when teaching literacy, and improve their progress and levels of attainment in both reading and writing.
You’ll have the opportunity to share best practice, download classroom-ready resources, including how-to guides, activities and worksheets, and access an exclusive playlist of short films and clips to use in school.
We will also discuss the benefits of creating film content in the classroom and how this can be used to aid deep learning, which is more easily retained. You’ll have the opportunity to make your own short film for use in the classroom, which can be shared with fellow educators on a YouTube playlist.
CLICK HERE – Teaching Literacy Through Film
Check out the https://highlandliteracy.com/media-literacy/ tab on the Highland Literacy blog.
The Scots Language Co-ordinators in Education Scotland want children to share their Scots Language learning with others. Their document below, Weans’ Words, has links and resources that can support the teaching of Scots Language in the classroom.
CLICK HERE – Previous Scots Language posts on Highland Literacy
CLICK HERE – Scots Hoose – Scots Language Resources
CLICK HERE – Highland Literacy Scots Language Booklet
The Speech and Language service have created some helpful handouts to support Listening and Talking in the classroom environment.
Click the links below to download:
Attention and Listening in the Early Years
Average Acquisition of Speech Sounds
Early Sound Awareness
Helping a Child who is Reluctant to Speak
Using Two Languages – For Families
Word Finding Difficulties
Check out the Emerging Literacy section of the blog for futher information on taking a Developmental Approach to support Literacy.
Between today and the 21st of January, Education Scotland are holding an online conversation on the Primary One Literacy Assessment and Action Resource (POLAAR).
As Highland Schools continue to engage with the Emerging Literacy materials, the POLAAR resource can be used alongside these to support professional practice.
CLICK HERE to join in on the professional discussion and learn more about the Primary One Literacy Assessment and Action Resource.
HIGHLAND LITERACY 