Tag: Literacy

Literacy News Update – December 2020

This blog post shares literacy news and information about Falkirk, Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Collaborative and Education Scotland developments and professional learning.

Falkirk Happenings:

Click here to view the Talking and Listening and Reading Comprehension Recovery Phase support materials created August 2020 (Scroll down to Literacy – Glow login required)

Click here to read about the Falkirk LIteracy Network meeting for this term – contact yvonne.mcblain@falkirk.gov.uk if you would like to join this network.

Our second Literacy Blether with our support for learning colleagues takes place on 15th December. Our first meeting in September helped us identify and discuss how our learners had progressed over lock down and what support they still needed. Working virtually in Teams gave us a safe but valuable way to share ideas and resources which might support our learners as well as our thoughts about useful professional learning. Judith Davies, Louise Amos and Yvonne McBlain have taken forward the actions identified including collaboration with colleagues in our RIC and at Education Scotland.

Upcoming Professional Learning – shaped by the above meetings plus our analysis of SNSA autumn 2019 data:

LIT 7-2021 Support for learning literacy  Blether 15th December 4-5pm

LIT 5a-2021 Let’s talk about primary 7 SNSA data 10th December 4-5pm and another opportunity LIT 5b-2021 on 26th January 2021 4-5 pm.

LIT 4b-2021 Let’s talk about primary 4 SNSA data 21 st January 2021 4-5pm

LIT 6a-2021 Introducing the new PM Literacy Assessment 19th January 2021  4-5pm and another opportunity LIT 6b-2021 on 4th February 2021 4-5 pm

Watch out for LIT 8-2021  1st February 2021 we hope to offer an information session about Reciprocal Reading for those who want to find out more about the training available via our Regional collaborative literacy team.

Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Collaborative Happenings:

Falkirk’s literacy team members – Yvonne Manning, Carol Turnbull and Yvonne McBlain attended each FVWLRIC literacy meeting and contributed to the ongoing development of the literacy development plan – click here to read more via the FVWLRIC blog.  Contact yvonne.mcblain@falkirk.gov.uk with any matters you would like to be shared with this forum.

At the end of October, Janet Adam, literacy lead officer, FVWLRIC, co-delivered LIT 3-2021 Let’s talk about reading – in Falkirk and within our regional collaborative with Yvonne McBlain.  As a result of this course and previous literacy updates, Janet is now working directly with a number of Falkirk primary schools to support their use of Reciprocal Reading (click here to read more).

Janet and Helen Fairlie, senior development officer for Literacy and English Education Scotland, have established a  FVWLRIC principal teacher of English network to promote collaboration and support across the secondary sector.

Upcoming FVWLRIC Professional Learning:

Dr. Kylie Bradfield (Stirling University) will deliver further Reciprocal Reading sessions for primary practitioners. These will focus on “Teaching Grammar in Context” and take place: Monday 11th – word level, 18th – sentence level & 25th January 2021 – 5-5.40 pm – text level. These are free to all via Zoom https://t.co/egNYBYupAl?amp=1  Meeting ID: 814 7023 2439 Passcode: 8KH99h further info available from FVWLRIC blog post  and from Twitter here .  The sessions will be recorded and will be available on You Tube afterwards.

Janet has prepared a Winter themed wakelet collection of teaching resources for those adopting Reciprocal Reading approaches – click here to view and watch out for further professional learning information sessions about Reciprocal Reading.

Introduction to disciplinary literacy webinar 28th January 2021 for secondary practitioners 4-5 pm for more information click here

Education Scotland Literacy Happenings:

Helen Fairlie is our FVWLRIC Education Scotland literacy team member and we are grateful for her support with a number of the developments above. Posts in this blog will keep you updated on what was shared by Helen and her Education Scotland literacy team colleagues at National LIteracy Network meetings. Both Yvonne(s) and Carol attend these meetings and the more informal drop in opportunities which Helen and Janet jointly chair. 

Click here to access recently published SQA  support resources – audio presentations and an updated “Common Questions” document.

Click here to access a list of online support sources for blended learning in literacy. These were collated by Julie Jamieson, literacy development officer.

Upcoming Professional Learning highlighted or organised by Education Scotland:

Recording of the recent webinar from Glasgow University School of Critical Studies on Understanding English Grammar click here to view. The access passcode is: IEeV2&s^ and the webinar begins from around 9 min 30 sec:

Click here to view the Literacy in the Outdoors webinar which took place in November.

Click here to visit the Education Scotland professional learning blog where the latest opportunities are promoted.

2020-21 Falkirk Literacy Network Meeting 1 Summary

The Falkirk Children’s Services Literacy Network began four years ago and continues to evolve and respond to current events. Consequently, our first meeting of this new school session took place via Microsoft Teams on 3rd September 2020. The agenda for the meeting and a brief summary of the discussion which took place is provided below:

Agenda:

  1. Catch up about how literacy is happening during recovery phase – what is working well or proving challenging in schools/settings?
  2. Share and discuss new literacy support materials, RIC and national literacy news
  3. Discuss Recovery Phase literacy support required
  4. Identify 2020-21 literacy priorities for our network
  5. Agree meeting frequency, purpose and dates

Item 1 – Pupils and staff have had a very positive return to school and to learning with a focus on Health and Wellbeing and relationship building. In all sectors practitioners are establishing where their pupils’ learning is and identifying resources and strategies to support ongoing progression. These include Read, Write Inc, Accelerated Reader and ongoing development of a reading culture and reading for enjoyment. Borrowbox  is being extensively and effectively used and our Learning Resource Service and school librarians and secondary colleagues have implemented creative solutions to the practical challenges of accessing texts which Covid presents.

In response to these challenges, changes to curriculum, learning spaces and processes/methodology are evolving in line with the specific needs of each establishment. These include enabling pupils to connect learning and apply their skills across learning in Carrongrange High School, virtual storytelling opportunities in Grangemouth and Braes HS, and establishing a shared pupil and staff understanding of online communication via the creation of “Codes of Conduct” for working online at Braes HS.

During discussion, opportunities for literacy/STEM learning through books were shared, as was the wonderful “Lost Words” book and outdoor learning resources created by the John Muir Trust – click here to access.

Item 2 -.The literacy resources created by our Falkirk Literacy Team to support reading comprehension (click here) and for listening and talking (click here) were signposted and discussed (sign up for Professional Learning session LIT 220-21 [6.10.20 4-5 pm] in CPD Manager to discuss these booklets). These include the Recovery Reading list compiled by Yvonne Manning and Maggie Burns. Yvonne Manning highlighted the national Reading Accreditation pilot project – a small number of Falkirk establishments are signed up to participate already and other schools can contact yvonne.manning@falkirk.gov.uk  to get involved. Carol Turnbull explained that the current Forth Valley Regional Collaborative Literacy Plan will carry forward subject to national developments currently under discussion. We are looking forward to working with Dr Janet Adam who is our FVRIC literacy lead, and with Helen Fairlie, senior development officer for literacy, Education Scotland. Janet and Helen can be contacted by schools or clusters regarding specific professional learning/support – email Janet CLjadam@glow.sch.uk (please copy to yvonne.mcblain@falkirk.gov.uk to  keep us informed). Yvonne McBlain explained how the literacy team have collated all national and regional support materials within this blog (click to view) for convenience and to avoid colleagues feeling swamped by the range of online tools available – national support wakelet here, practitioner newsletter with literacy support linked to the Thriving plan here, and RIC blog with updates here.

Louise Amos and Jude Davies have been working with support for learning teachers in the primary and secondary sectors and will host our first SfLT Falkirk Literacy Catch up on 23rd September with Yvonne McBlain via Teams. By co-ordinating more closely with SfL teachers, we hope to extend our understanding of the literacy learning which is working well and how we can meet ongoing challenges to progression in literacy for all children and young people.

We are also analysing the autumm 2019 primary 4 and 7 SNSA data provided by Kimberly Robinson, Data Coach, Falkirk Children’s Services. We will collate our findings in a digital format which can be accessed and used by our establishments. The findings will also inform the literacy priorities identified during this valuable first meeting as well as shaping our professional learning menu.

Items 3 and 4 When we discussed the literacy support required at this time, it became clear that there is a need to allow time for everyone to settle back in to school life and learning, and that the confidence of children and young people needs to build. One or two schools are finding that some children need a gradual acceleration of the pace of learning whereas others require more challenge.

5.The network agreed to meet via Teams once per term over this session – next meeting will therefore be mid-November and anyone wishing to join the Literacy Network should contact yvonne.mcblain@falkirk.gov.uk

 

Falkirk Children’s Services Literacy Materials for Family Learning

The literacy team members from Falkirk Children’s Services central support team are creating a suite of family learning materials for use by parents and carers across our local authority. These materials are written specifically for a parental audience and are designed to provide a series of fun learning tasks which families can do together at a time and in a way which suits them best. They are designed to be part of or to add to the learning grids and curriculum tasks which practitioners and schools provide for learners and their families. The materials (digital and paper-based) guide and support parents and carers through a structured learning process while leaving lots of room for children and their families to adapt the learning tasks to suit their home situation and the materials they have to hand.

The learning plan in each kit uses elements of the Storyline approach – key questions help children surface and extend their knowledge  and suggested activities help progress literacy and other skills across learning. These skills are made explicit in the plan and opportunities for children and parents to evaluate or assess their work are planned in to the learning.

The five themes identified aim for increased engagement with learning by providing a loosely structured opportunity for families to learn together. The themes and plans will also aim to complement and address other challenges resulting from current school closures: feelings of isolation; building relationships; practising social skills; communication; developing personal interests within boundaries, etc. The plans are tailored to current restrictions, but offer productive, creative and safe ways for families to learn together indoors and out. The team hope that these are a valuable addition to the inspiring family learning experiences being developed and shared by settings across our authority. The themes identified so far are:

  1. Jack and the Beanstalk (this plan is developed from an early-first level storyline – see below for family learning pack files)
  2. Our Dream Holiday (Let’s take an imaginary family tour – developed from a second level Capital Tours storyline)
  3. Friendships and Relationships
  4. Getting in touch with nature and outdoors
  5. Let’s get sporty!

Each hub school will be provided with paper versions of each pack for families unable to access the digital link to the files. The regular Comms updates from Rhona Jay will provide the link to the digital and paper-based files so that schools can pass this link on or provide physical copies as desired. The pack will include guidance for parents, a copy of the stories and texts required and we hope to put together additional physical resources for families to use during their storyline experience. The practitioner version of the Jack in the Beanstalk storyline plan is also available for early years officers and teachers who want to use it as it is, or who may want to blend both plans to create a collaborative school/family learning experience. Click here to view the practitioner version of the plan.

These blog posts will have all of the files and links required for family use of each theme to enable parents to access the kits digitally – we hope this will reduce workload for practitioners and senior leaders – one link can be emailed to families, added to your school learning grid, or printed off as required.

Family Learning Pack 1 – Jack and the Beanstalk Files and Links:

Click here for the digital version of the plan – send this link to parents/pupils through your chosen communication method.

The print version of the plan – click here for the Introductory pack document with story, and click here for the plan file. A resources document will follow.

Please leave comments and feedback below or contact yvonne.mcblain@falkirk.gov.uk – your suggestions are always welcome.

Stay home and stay safe – best wishes from

Carol Turnbull, Yvonne Manning, Yvonne McBlain, Jude Davies, Louise Amos

Using Picture Books to Promote Primary 1 Progress in Reading at Bowhouse PS

Earlier this session, Yvonne McBlain, curriculum support teacher, Falkirk Children’s Services, met with Charlotte McManus, Acting Depute Head teacher at Bowhouse Primary School to discuss literacy. Charlotte shared literacy teaching and learning which was going well in Bowhouse, including their focus at early level on rhyme, repetition and being playful with words through songs and actions. Charlotte kindly shared some of the picture books which Bowhouse colleagues use with primary 1 learners to support their progression of reading skills. We hope this list (see below) is useful to you – but please note other texts which are helping your learners by commenting upon this post? Together we can build an engaging plethora (love that word) of suggestions! These skills are highlighted by the extract from our Falkirk Literacy & English Progression Pathway pictured above.

Early in Term 1 – Environmental sound book suggestions

1.        Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

2.        We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

3.        Farmyard Hullabaloo by Giles Andreae

4.        Peace At Last by Jill Murphy

5.       Quiet by Kate Alizadeh

6.       Rabbits Nap (Julia Donaldson)

7.       Lullaby Hullaballoo

Later in Term 1 – Authors who use rhyme

1.       Julia Donaldson

2.       Nick Sharrat ( Fairytales if focus is Fairyland)

3.       Kes Gray (oi Frog!)

4.       Jez Alborough

5.       Giles Andreae

6.       Quintin Blake

7.       Lynley Dodd

Term 2 – Books with repeated phrases

1.       Jack and the Flum Flum Tree

2.       Hairy McLary

3.       The very Hungry Caterpillar

4.       The Tiger who Came to Tea

5.       The Gruffalo

6.       Owl Babies

7.       Handa’s Surprise

8.       Mrs Mopple’s Washing Line

9.       The Day Louis Got Eaten

10.   Solomen Crocodile

11.   Brown Bear Brown Bear what do you see?

12.   Farmer Duck

13.   Don’t Talk to the Bus Driver

The Scottish Book Trust website also has resources which develop  similar literacy skills using Scots language and rhymes here – these may be useful for parents reading to their children at home too. Education Scotland National Improvement Hub resources point to this Words for Life section of the National Literacy Trust website. It offers guidance for parents on literacy activities and milestones in talking and reading which may also be helpful for family learning.

Bookbug Picture Book Prize and P1 CLPL

Bookbug

The Bookbug Picture Book Prize will be launched on Thursday 29 August 2018 –  get ready to find out which 3 books will be gifted in the Bookbug P1 Family Bag this year!

Scottish Book Trust are also holding free CLPL sessions on gifting the Bookbug P1 Family Bags. The session will include:

  • Fun and practical bag gifting ideas including why these are important for children and parents and how this can help support attainment
  • Ideas for library or classroom activities based on the 3 books in the bag
  • Ideas to create links between schools and libraries
  • How to take part in the Bookbug Picture Book Prize and Book Week Scotland

The dates for the central belt are as follows:

Location Date Time
Edinburgh Thursday 27 September 4pm-5:30pm
Glasgow Tuesday 9 October 4pm-5.30pm

Please visit scottishbooktrust.com/p1clpl to sign up to attend a session.

For more information, or if you’re having any problems signing up, please contact bookbug@scottishbooktrust.com or phone 0131 541 2342.

 

Interesting update 2 from the last National Literacy Network meeting

Illustration of superhero made of letters

The First Minister’s Reading Challenge (FMRC) supports the Scottish Government’s ambition to tackle the attainment gap. It intends to encourage reading for pleasure and building a reading culture within schools and communities. An independent evaluation of FMRC yielded positive findings and recommendations for developing the Challenge. In September 2018 it will be rolled out to secondary schools after a successful pilot in 6 schools, public libraries and extra-curricular groups will also be able to register to participate in the Challenge.

A National Strategy for School Libraries. The chief executive of the Scottish Library and Information Council gave an update on the progress of a National Strategy for school libraries in Scotland. The school library is seen as a resource at the heart of the school, supporting the curriculum, a gateway to information, crucial to reading for enjoyment and a space for exploration. There are 5 working groups contributing to the Strategy looking at the school librarians’ impact on the curriculum, health & wellbeing, digital literacy, family learning and standards. The National Strategy will be published in August 2018.

UKLA prize winning school, St Anthony’s PS, Renfrewshire, spoke about the progress they have made in creating a reading culture in the school and the benefits which have resulted in pupils becoming enthusiastic readers. You can read more about the great ideas the school implemented here.

Writing Rammy

The Writing Rammy is open to everyone, regardless of age or writing experience – everyone has a story in them!

Taking part is easy:  all you need to do is write a short piece of original fiction or poetry on a theme of your choice and email it in.

About the Writing Rammy

  • Simply send your entries to our dedicated email address, with your contact details to  writingrammy@falkirkcommunitytrust.org
  • Alternatively typed entries can be handed into any library in the Falkirk district by the closing date.
  • Your entry should clearly state your name, age, address, tel. no, and email address or your school and form class.
  • The word limit is 250 words for under 15s, or up to 500 words for 15 and over.
  • The competition is open now and the closing date is Saturday 18th August 2018
  • Please read the terms and conditions for the competition at: http://www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/libraries/writing-rammy/writing-rammy-rules.aspx , or view them in your local library

Entries will be judged by a panel from the library service and a winner and runner up will be chosen in each of the following categories:

  • 7 and under
  • 8-11
  • 12-14
  • 15-17
  • 18+
  • Best Family Entry

Winners will be announced mid- September and invited to a special winners’ ceremony on 11th October 2018 during National Libraries Week.

Pupil Entries

If pupils would like to participate, their class teacher can email in several entries at once, but please make sure each entry clearly states the pupil’s name, age and form class.

 

 

Interesting Update from the last National Literacy Network Meeting

Yvonne McBlain, Yvonne Manning and Carol Turnbull (FCS Literacy team) attended the National Literacy Network Meeting on 19th March 2018. Helen Fairlie, Development Officer, Education Scotland arranged and hosted the event which consisted of:

  • Sharing of early messages – an overview of Literacy nationally

Helen Fairlie is in the process of analysing available HMIE inspection reports and other data to compile her report on how pupils and schools are currently progressing with Literacy. An extract of her slide presentation can be accessed here – Helen stressed that this is interim data about pupil achievement of literacy within CfE, and that her analysis of inspection reports is not complete.

  • Conversations about Language and Literacy:

Click on the snapshot above of Dr Sarah McGeown’s blog to discover more about how she is linking research and practice. Her work focuses on early reading, motivation and engagement in reading, gender differences and children and young people’s reading choices.

Dr Lynne Duncan   is researching pre-school language and emergent literacy and reading among bilingual learners, as well as literacy difficulties. Click the snapshot of the Improving Children’s Literacy website below to explore their work further.

Click here to view their presentation from the event.

 

 

 

Sharing of developments by Dundee City Council

Gail Stirling and Nicola McDonald from Dundee City Council shared their development of literacy at all levels. Click here to view their presentation and hear how the process they are supporting is already impacting on learner attainment.

  • Sharing of Literacy priorities in each local authority area

Each local authority submitted a presentation slide showing their current priorities for literacy – there was time to discuss these in the afternoon.

Watch out for Interesting Update 2 with more info about the afternoon.

 

Creating a Reading Culture – Inspiring Classrooms

Bring reading to life in the classroom

Inspiring Classrooms is a project created by the First Minister’s Reading Challenge to help schools build and sustain a reading culture.

Schools can apply to Inspiring Classrooms to receive a small grant for a project of their choice which includes an author visit and books for Primary 1 – 7 children taking part in the First Minister’s Reading Challenge.

The 2nd round of funding is now open for applications:

  • 16 February 2018 – Application deadline
  • 9 March 2018 – Notification of outcome
  • March 2018 – Funding distributed
  • March – June 2018 – Events held
  • June 2018 – Evaluation feedback deadline

Find out more about Inspiring Classrooms here.