The Communication Trust have published a range of resources to support their ‘no pens day’ across early years, primary, secondary and FE. Essentially, it’s a day where no writing takes place – all lessons focus on speaking and listening in an attempt to focus attention and resources on these key skills. While there’s a nominal date for this – the 4th October – a no pens day could be held at any time of year, several times if you wanted. Check out the supporting resource here: no pens day supporting resources

Information and photos from our 12 pilot schools can be found under the P1 literacy pilot tab – to get a copy of the new guidance just click on the tab withouth following any of the drop down menus.

Amazon have teamed up with the National Literacy Trust to create Young Storyteller, a not-for-profit initiative with the aim of giving every student in the UK the opportunity to be a published author. You can get resources to help your pupils write creatively and then compile the stories into a collection which can be published as a paperback and e-book using Kindle. Your school gets royalties for every copy sold. Sounds like a great idea! https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?node=11967864031

Roald Dahl day is Wednesday 13th September – a party pack you can use with children can be found here – the Roald Dahl site also has loads of resources you can use as a teacher, a parent or as a young person.

You can now register your school for this year’s Reading Challenge. The Challenge has been expanded so P1-P3 can now join in as well. Even if you took part last year you still need to register online: https://readingchallenge.scot/?utm_source=Scottish+Book+Trust+eUpdates&utm_campaign=bbdf86db50-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_08_31&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4566345a8c-bbdf86db50-81333753 You’ll also find new resources to support the challenge.

The SQA are looking for examples of candidate writing from session 2016-17 to feature in their publication, Write Times 2.

Write Times 2 is an anthology of the best examples of writing in SQA assessments and is a follow-up to Write Times, which was published in 2007. It will be available in early 2018 as an e-book which can be downloaded for free.

They are inviting  you to submit examples of internally assessed candidate writing from National 3, National 4 and Higher National (HN) courses that demonstrate excellence and reflect the wide range of forms that writing can take, including: poetry, drama, prose, fiction and prose non-fiction (reporting, reflection and discussion). The examples will be chosen for their creativity, sensitivity of expression, depth of thought and perception, and their imaginative and skilful use of language.

To submit examples of your candidates’ writing for consideration, please e-mail them to writetimes@sqa.org.uk by Friday 15 September. Examples of candidate writing for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher will be selected from portfolio submissions from the 2017 diet.

The Scottish Book Trust have pubished this resource for primary practitioners with lots of ideas for engaging learners in meaningful activities around books. Also found if you follow Staff/Sharing Good Practice / Reading on this site.

10 things to do with a book (primary)

On Wednesday 13th September Puffin Virtually Live will be broadcasting from 2 to 2.30pm. You’ll join CBBC Book Club presenter Katie Thistleton for a show filmed in the village of Great Missenden where Roald Dahl wrote his most famous stories. You can hear from Quentin Blake, Roald Dahl’s illustrator, hunt for a Gruncher in his bunker with Colin Thurze and take a glimpse inside the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre with Steve Gardan, its director. To sign up for the live broadcast. go to http://news.penguin.co.uk/q/1I9NLGSVR8S5TFYWTslGY/wv 

If you or someone in your home is interested in books, then check out this list of reading related podcasts: http://readinggroups.org/resources/2360?ct=t(RGFE_Newsletter_June6_14_2016)&goal=0_ef82b5d6fa-0e93b095d3-82196361&mc_cid=0e93b095d3&mc_eid=15550f4feb

Welcome back to all the teachers and pupils across Argyll and Bute. We hope you had a wonderful summer and you’re all set for 2017-2018.

We have several areas of focus for this year. We’d really like to focus on primary 1 literacy acquisition with the continuation of our primary 1 literacy pilot – even if you’re not involved you can access all the guidance and resources under the P1 pilot project tab. In secondaries some schools are taking on the Fresh Start initiative to work with pupils who need some support in reading. We’re also further supporting and driving forward literacy across learning in all our secondary schools. We’d also like to look at writing within primary schools and how we can best support teachers and learners in building skills and confidence.

Remember, all resources on this site are available for staff, parents and pupils to look at and use. Have an explore and see whether there’s something that is useful for you.