The First Minister’s Reading Challenge is back for 2017/2018!

The First Minister’s Reading Challenge is back for 2017/2018 and now includes children from P1 – P7. Is your school registered to take part in this year’s challenge?

Whether your P4-P7s took part last year, or you are completely new to the Reading Challenge, you will need to register your school for this year. Each school will need to nominate a key contact who will input details for the whole school, order Reading Passports (along with our new Class Passport for P1-3) and submit entries for the school-wide challenges. They will receive a link to send on to class teachers so they can sign up, access the resources and submit entries for the pupil challenges.

CLICK HERE – FM Reading Challenge Learning Resources

There are still spaces on the First Minister’s Challenge Outreach event for teachers and librarians on Monday 25th September 2017, 4.30pm – 6.30pm, in Eden Court, Inverness.

CLICK HERE – FM Reading Challenge Event, INVERNESS

Primary 2 and Primary 3 children across Scotland will receive a Read, Write, Count Family Pack in preparation for Book Week Scotland.

Tthe P2 and P3 Read, Write, Count Family Packs includes books and resources to support family learning. The packs will be delivered to schools between September and November with the intention for the packs to be shared with families through family learning events during Book Week Scotland 2017: Monday 27^th November – Sunday 3^rd December 2017.

Please see the information below for teachers which includes links to classroom resources which support learning and teaching using the Read, Write, Count Family Learning Packs.

CLICK HERE: P2/P3 Read, Write, Count Family Packs – School Information_Sep17

To support schools in developing Bookbug/ Read, Write, Count gifting events using the packs, the Highland Library service are putting on a series of Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL) events for P1 – P3 teachers across the Authority. Please find information below – each event can be applied for through the CPD Calendar (put ‘Bookbug’ into the Keyword search). Please apply before Friday 6^th October 2017.

Primary 1 children across Scotland will receive a Bookbug Primary 1 Family Pack in preparation for Book Week Scotland.

The P1 Bookbug Family Pack includes books and resources to support family learning. The packs will be delivered to schools between September and November with the intention for the packs to be shared with families through family learning events during Book Week Scotland 2017: Monday 27^th November – Sunday 3^rd December 2017.

Please see the information below for teachers which includes links to classroom resources which support learning and teaching using the Bookbug Primary 1 Family Pack.

CLICK HERE: P1 Bookbug Family Pack – School Information_Sep17

To support schools in developing Bookbug/ Read, Write, Count gifting events using the packs, the Highland Library service are putting on a series of Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL) events for P1 – P3 teachers across the Authority. Please find information below – each event can be applied for through the CPD Calendar (put ‘Bookbug’ into the Keyword search). Please apply before Friday 6^th October 2017.

Are any of your children in P4-P7 avid readers of the Baby Aliens series or Wigglesbottom Primary series? If so, here’s an Authors Live event worth catching next week. On Wednesday 13th September 2017, 11am – 11.40am, the Scottish Book Trust are hosting children’s author Pamela Butchart to introduce you to her recent book There’s a Werewolf in my Tent, which is all about a school camping trip gone wrong. She will also lead you in a draw-along and answer questions from children across the country!

CLICK HERE – SIGN UP AUTHORS LIVE: PAMELA BUTCHART

Date: Wednesday 13th September 2017
Time: 11am – 11.40am
Target Audience: P4 – P7

If you missed it, CLICK HERE for the May 2017 Emerging Literacy Update

CLICK HERE to download the August 2017 Emerging Literacy update.

Check out the Scottish Book Trust’s new lesson study materials to support Creative Writing across the Second Level of CfE.

The resource supports children’s writing through the development of writer’s craft.

CLICK HERE – Creative Writing Scottish Book Trust

Through our continued partnership with High Life Highland Libraries to support the development of Emerging Literacy, Highland Libraries are providing Bookbug Session Leader training for nurseries and schools who will lead Bookbug sessions with their children in nursery and primary 1, along with their families. The first round of sessions is now available to apply for through the CPD calendar and further opportunities will be added during the academic session. The training is designed to support nurseries/schools with Emerging Literacy on their improvement planning through HGIOELC/ HGIOS4 2.5 – Family Learning.

Bookbug Session Leader Training

Bookbug sessions are designed to promote family learning and engagement with early literacy, language and communication. They are delivered to families and their children, supporting them to connect through books, songs, rhymes and games.

The Bookbug Session Leader Training is open to EYPs/ PSAs/ Class Teachers who will lead Bookbug sessions with families and their children. The Bookbug sessions are geared at children, up to and including Primary 1, and their families. The training equips participants with the knowledge and develops the skills to lead a Bookbug session. Following attending the Bookbug Session Leader Training, participants will set-up Bookbug sessions within their nursery/ school.

Shared by Jenny Wilson, Literacy Development Officer, Highland Council

Two daily calendars have been created for schools to use.

The first is a Figure of Speech Calendar.  It has a different figure of speech for each day of the school year.  Each day a new figure of speech could be introduced to support the development of children’s language. Pre-Teaching Vocabulary can be used to support the teaching of this phrase.

The second is a General Knowledge Pop Quiz.  This is a fun way to build up the bank of general knowledge available for pupils to draw on when engaging with texts.  This could be used for group, class, school or even inter-school pop quiz days!

Kick start the new term, developing your writers’ voices with the Scottish Book Trust’s ’50 Word Fiction’

This month’s ’50 Word Fiction’ from the Scottish Book Trust asks you to ‘Write a story about a horseshoe.’

The deadline is Tuesday 29th August 2017. The Young Writers category is open to all children and young people under 18.

CLICK HERE – ’50 Word Fiction’

As shared before the summer break, Jenny Wilson, Literacy Development Officer (Highland Council) is developing Highland’s approach to Raising Attainment in Literacy, Language and Communication: Persistent Literacy Difficulties during the 2017/2018 session. 

Jenny’s training for Term 1 is now available on the CPD calendar. The following seven career long professional learning opportunities (CLPL) are available on the CPD calendar for Term 1.

• Introducing new developments and provisions in Literacy
• Literacy drop-in sessions
• Literacy Leaders
• Paired Reading and Cued Spelling
• PSA and ASN Teacher training in Literacy interventions
• Shared Reading and Precision Teaching.

Please see the overview below for more information:CLICK HERE Persistent Literacy Difficulties CLPL Plan – Term 1