Check out a great search engine, instGrok, which can be used by pupils and staff to research a topic.
Simply search the topic you’re wanting to research and you will be provided with an interactive map which makes the connections between different pieces of research to enable learners to gain holistic understanding and evidence around a topic.
Check out the demonstration video on the home page to find out more information about the site.
Those of you who have used the Lend Me Your Literacy – Picture of the Day site regularly may have noticed there have been some changes.
The site is now known as Pobble365. Each day an image will be posted alongside a story starter and some reflective questions. This is a great stimulus to a media literacy, listening and talking or writing lesson.
No Pens Day Wednesday is a national speaking and listening event organised by The Communication Trust. No Pens Day Wednesday supports schools and settings to put down their pens and pick up their language to support pupils’ communication skills.
Why don’t you try putting away the pens and pencils for a day, and looking at ways to develop your pupils’ oral language?
Click the image above for the No Pens Day Wednesday – Activity Pack. The pack is full of information and ideas how Early Years, Primary and Secondary settings can support this. The official date is Wednesdy 7th October 2015.
Check out the Building Vocabulary for Better Literacy PowerPoint from The Literacy Toolkit to look at research and strategies for pre-teaching vocabulary.
Following our post on the Scottish Children’s Book Awards an exciting CPD opportunity which brings together Primary 1 teachers and staff from the Highland Library Service is being delivered by librarians in Highland.
The Primary 1 Bookbug pack normally arrives in schools in late October/ early November, ready for Book Week Scotland.
The CPD training will introduce the books within the P1 Bookbug pack and provide suggested curriculum activities for developing the books in the classroom. One great suggestion for using the P1 Bookbug packs in schools is through developing a Shared Reading Project.
The following six sessions have been confirmed:
You can apply for a place by emailing the contact librarian directly. There may be additional sessions planned depending on the capacity of the Library Service.
This is a great opportunity to link with your local Network Librarian. The Library Service aims to support practitioners through contact with their Network Librarian and support the ‘Every Child a Library Member’ initiative.
CLICK HERE – P1 Bookbug Activity Pack
Following our post last month on Emerging Literacy many practitioners have accessed and engaged with the materials which we published in August.
To support your engagement with the Primary One Literacy Assessment and Action Resource (POLAAR) the Millburn Academy ASG has created a streamlined checklist for the Early Literacy Environmental Assessment.
We are looking to collect data from Primary 1 teachers across the Authority on the number of aspects which have been embedded from the Early Literacy Environmental Assessment. The Emerging Literacy working group are interested in which aspects are difficult to embed to identify the further support materials which are needed.
CLICK HERE: POLAAR – Data collection
We would appreciate if Primary 1 practitioners could complete the checklist by the October break and send to highlandliteracy@gmail.com by the October break.
FAO: Highland Primary 1 Teachers, Support for Learning Teachers, School Senior Management Teams and the Quality Improvement Team
For anyone in the South/Mid area who missed the initial training, you can apply through the CPD calendar for twilight training at Crown Primary School, Inverness on Tuesday 27th October, 4pm – 6pm. Further training needs will be identified at the Emerging Literacy group’s next meeting in October.
Adult Learning, Inverness, are hosting a celebratory event for the community to mark the European Day of Languages. The event is an opportunity to celebrate bilingualism, share your home language with others, learn some phrases in another language, and take part in activities such as song, rhyme, dance, traditional music, and traditional dress from across Europe and around the world!
There will also be Bookbug sessions for babies and toddlers in English and other languages.
Last week’s post about the Scottish Children’s Book Awards made reference to utilising the support of CALL Scotland.
The CALL Scotland Blog have created resources which can support learners with communication difficulties and those with a print disability.
CLICK HERE – CALL Scotland Blog
I would recommend checking out the New Opportunities and Resources for Shared Reading and Storytelling section.
As part of the Scottish Children’s Book Awards 2016, the Scottish Book Trust are promoting a Shared Reading ethos in schools.
Interested in developing Shared Reading in your school, click the image above to download the Scottish Book Trust’s Shared Reading pack. This can be developed through the Broad General Education and into the Senior Phase. This provides practical suggestions where learners can support the reading development of one another and older learners can act as Literacy Mentors.
This is one way which older pupils in the Primary and in Secondary could support the Primary 1 Family Book Bug Pack. Training will be provided by Highland Libraries after the October break on promoting the in your school. More details will be follow shortly.
Last week the finalists for the Scottish Children’s Book Awards were announced.
To support the release of the P1 Book Bug pack, the staff at Highland Libraries will be offering twilight CPD for Primary 1 teachers to deliver the pack. This will take place after the October break – more details to follow.
On the Scottish Book Trust website you will find learning resources for each of the shortlisted books. Check out the ‘Learning Resources‘ section for resources to support the use of these texts in the classroom.
CLICK HERE for resources produced by CALL Scotland to support chlidren with communication difficulties in accessing the Scottish Book Trust materials.
We Give Books is a fabulous resource which has a library of free e-books which can be accessed and used in the classroom. There are a number of different genres to look through, both fiction and non-fiction.
HIGHLAND LITERACY 