We have been developing some training videos which you can use, either just to watch on your own, or with your class in a kind of on-line team teaching situation. As I write we have three weeks of lessons, with each week containing a video for days one to four.
There is also one training video for children in P6/7, which is a spelling investigation. It comes with a pack of activities. We will continue to add a few more to this group.
If you would like access to these, let me know, and I’ll add you to the shared drive.
This is a recording of a live webinar held in February 2024 discussing the rich evidence base around reading for pleasure, extracted data from our Reading Schools evaluations and an exploration of how Reading Schools can support the school improvement planning processes.
We recommend watching this recording if you want to find out more about UK and international research on the importance, impact and benefits of reading for pleasure. This session includes direct sources for further exploration and evidence from our 2019 to 2023 (this will open in a new window)Reading Schools evaluation.
San àm ri teachd tha sinn an dùil gum bidh barrachd cunntasan air am blog mu na goireasan ùra a tha air a bhith air a chruthachadh aig Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd and tro com-pàirteachas le comhairlean eile.
Tha sinn airson aire a thogail mu na leabhraichean fonaigs a tha sinn air cruthachadh còmhla ri Gwen Bowie. Bidh barrachd leabhraichean air a chruthachadh san àm ri teachd.
Is e leabhraichean goirid a ghabhas an clò-bhualadh a tha seo agus tha iad ag’obair tro slighe fonaigs. Air cùl còmhdach gach leabhar tha liosta de na fuaimean a tha nam fòcas. ‘S urrainn don sgoilearan spòrs a bhith aca a’ cuir dath air na dealbhan. Cuideachd bheir e cothrom dhaibh an cànan aca a leudachadh le bhith bruidhinn mu na dealbhan agus an teacsa.
Over the coming months, I hope to have regular posts highlighting some of the Gaelic Medium resources that have been created in Highland Council and through partnership with other councils.
Today I want to showcase some decodable books and texts that have been created in partnership with the author Gwen Bowie. These will be extended further as time permits.
These are short printable books which work their way through a phonic progression. On the back cover of each book is tells you what the new focus letters and sounds are that are cover in the book. The children can have fun colouring in the pictures to make the book their own. This can also offer the opportunity to extend spoken Gaelic as they engage with the text and pictures.
If you wish to access these, please click on the link below.
A national online programme for primary teachers aiming to enhance their professional knowledge and practice of reading for pleasure pedagogies to support children to become frequent regular readers. This course is run by Scottish Book Trust and is endorsed by Education Scotland.
Participants will learn the essential pedagogical practices associated with developing and sustaining a reading for pleasure culture in the primary setting. They will gain the skills, knowledge and expertise to lead on the enactment of this, tailored to the needs of the pupils in their own unique context.
They will learn the key principles of:
Reader motivation and engagement
Principles to support pupils to read for enjoyment
Principles for embedding reading for enjoyment
They will also simultaneously deepen and enrich their own knowledge of contemporary texts for children.
For more information, around duration of the course, cost and how to apply, go to:
As we come to the last term of the academic year, it is time to plan for our yearly assessment and tracking of the children who are working out with the continuum of “normal” in literacy. We would expect around 10% of the school community to be in this category.
In term four, it is beneficial for every class teacher to reflect on which children are experiencing significant difficulties in literacy, based on their working knowledge of the child, and to fill out the relevant component parts assessments. These do not take long to do. They not only help to track progress over time but show the specific areas where targeted learning and teaching are required.
When we track children yearly from the end of Primary One, we build up evidence of where difficulties have appeared and disappeared, and what has worked and hasn’t worked for them. Sometimes we will see where notable difficulties have been observed in Primary One, lessen significantly during Primary Two and Primary Three as natural maturation takes place. For other children, we may observe that despite the differentiated support and interventions, these difficulties persist. This last group of children would be the ones that we need to continuously track towards a possible identification of dyslexia.
If we track from the end of Primary One, then we can build up an accurate picture of their day-to-day functionality in aspects of literacy: reading, writing and/or spelling. Only one area is required to be impacted for an identification of dyslexia.
As soon as you are aware that a child is experiencing difficulties, it is useful to start a chronology of where difficulties lie and what differentiated support and interventions have been carried out and their impact.
Dyslexia Scotland has recently (2024) updated their Reading Circles resource which includes information around the learning and teaching of reading as well as useful planning guides for the learning and teaching of reading.
The graphic below is a useful one to always have visible within the school community (staff, children and parents) so that we keep in mind the many important aspects of reading development.
It also helps us to know where target support is required when children are finding learning to read a struggle.
This is essential reading for all educators involved in the early stages of reading (up to around 8 years of age)
What is this?
This suite of professional learning resources has been developed alongside educators across Scotland to provide professional support, specifically in the area of learning to read in the early years.
Drawing upon a range of international research and guidance, it supports staff to interpret Scotland’s curriculum guidance and make research-informed decisions for learning and teaching.
Three areas of professional knowledge and practice have been identified:
building a literacy rich environment through interactions, experiences and spaces
I am delighted to have another member in the Literacy Development Team.
Is mise Alison Nicleòid agus tha mi toiseachadh mar Oifigear Leasachaidh Litearrachd na Gàidhlig aig Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd. Bidh mi ag’ obair san dreuchd seo gach Diardaoin agus Dihaoine gu deireadh an t- seisean seo. Mar pàirt den obair seo bidh mi a cruthachadh agus a leasachadh goireasan Gàidhlig a tha leanntainn Proiseact Litearrachd na Gàidhealtachd. Bidh cothroman ann dhiubh tighinn gu trèanadh air loidhne ‘s sinn a coimhead air goireasan ùr a th’ againn. Bidh fàilte chridheil oirbh uile tighinn chun a chiad trèanadh air loidhne air Diardaoin 18 an Giblean.
I would like to introduce myself as I begin my secondment as Gaelic Literacy Development Officer for The Highland Council. My name is Alison Macleod and I will be working in this position on a Thursday and Friday until the end of this current session. As part of this role I will be creating and developing resources in Gaelic that follow the Highland Literacy Project. There will be opportunities for online training throughout the session as we introduce the new resources and offer training on how they can be used. You are all welcome to come to the first online training which will be held on Thursday 18th of April.
Alison and I will aim to develop things side-by-side and have the Gaelic Medium Resources and the English Medium resources sitting together on our literacy pages.
The first two dates for the GM trainings before the summer holidays are as follows:
18TH April – This session is for Gaelic Medium practitioners to discuss literacy resources available in GME through Highland Literacy. Throughout this session we will be discussing the key priorities for development of literacy resources for GME.
This session is for Gaelic Medium practitioners to share resources for literacy in GME. Throughout this session we will be discussing the use of Gaelic literacy interventions to support pupils in reading.
I am delighted to welcome another member in the Literacy Development Team.
Is mise Alison Nicleòid agus tha mi toiseachadh mar Oifigear Leasachaidh Litearrachd na Gàidhlig aig Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd. Bidh mi ag’ obair san dreuchd seo gach Diardaoin agus Dihaoine gu deireadh an t- seisean seo. Mar pàirt den obair seo bidh mi a cruthachadh agus a leasachadh goireasan Gàidhlig a tha leanntainn Proiseact Litearrachd na Gàidhealtachd. Bidh cothroman ann dhiubh tighinn gu trèanadh air loidhne ‘s sinn a coimhead air goireasan ùr a th’ againn. Bidh fàilte chridheil oirbh uile tighinn chun a chiad trèanadh air loidhne air Diardaoin 18 an Giblean.
I would like to introduce myself as I begin my secondment as Gaelic Literacy Development Officer for The Highland Council. My name is Alison Macleod and I will be working in this position on a Thursday and Friday until the end of this current session. As part of this role I will be creating and developing resources in Gaelic that follow the Highland Literacy Project. There will be opportunities for online training throughout the session as we introduce the new resources and offer training on how they can be used. You are all welcome to come to the first online training which will be held on Thursday 18th of April.
Alison and I will aim to develop things side-by-side and have the Gaelic Medium Resources and the English Medium resources sitting together on our literacy pages.
The first two dates for the GM trainings before the summer holidays are as follows:
18TH April – This session is for Gaelic Medium practitioners to discuss literacy resources available in GME through Highland Literacy. Throughout this session we will be discussing the key priorities for development of literacy resources for GME.
This session is for Gaelic Medium practitioners to share resources for literacy in GME. Throughout this session we will be discussing the use of Gaelic literacy interventions to support pupils in reading.
Not every intervention that you come across has been researched, so it is good to check that there is evidence that your money will be money well spent to support targeted learning and teaching for the child.
It is important that we are clear on why an intervention is required and what means of measuring progress you can use.
There are a few things that we should think about before buying an intervention:
Are we clear on why an intervention is required and what means of measuring progress you can use?
Is the intervention taking the place of quality adult/child experiences and instructions.
Does the intervention provide repeated opportunities for over-learning, and applying new skills to other contexts?
Is there a multi-sensory component to the intervention?
Is the intervention a tool that the teacher can use to help support the child, rather than a tool that releases the teacher to be able to do something else?
Are we able to use the intervention in the way that it was created to be used? If not, you are unlikely to reap the expected outcomes.
We now have a new tab on Sharepoint where you will be able to see a variety of Commercially produced literacy interventions as well as our Highland Council ones.
Our next Emerging Literacy network will be on Thursday 29th February from 3:45 to 5:00 pm.
Our topic for discussion and sharing with be on writing at early level, so come armed with your questions and your success stories. If you haven’t signed up yet but would like to join this network, please send an email to jenny.wilson@highland.gov.uk.
HIGHLAND LITERACY 