‘Parents as Partners’ November 3, 2008
Posted by Morna McDonald in : Additional Support, Literacy, Resources, SFL, reading , 1 comment so far‘Excellent!’ “A really enjoyable afternoon,” “It’s great to see what our children do”
These were some of the many very positive comments made by parents who attended our “Parents as Partners: Supporting Learners at Law” open afternoon last week. Our aims for the session were simple - to introduce parents to the Support for Learing team (in the wider sense), to share some of the games and activities we use, to look at the displays and resources and to encourage pupils and parents to play together. A bonus was to meet parents informally in a relaxed setting.
The room was soon buzzing with chatter and laughter as parents had a go at some games, tried ACE dictionaries, looked at some reading resources and enjoyed the displays of children working together. Laptops were set up with a range of web-based games and activities which proved to be extremely popular. The children joined their parents when classes finished and were soon sharing favourite games and websites with their families - it was delightful to see parents and children having fun together!
The focus was on literacy and Support for Learning teachers had prepared a range of handouts covering reading, spelling, writing, websites and internet safety. Parents helped themselves to these and had an opportunity to ask staff about mind mapping, strategies to support reluctant readers, paired reading and a host of other questions.
The children themselves were very involved in planning this successful event. They enjoyed using mindmaps to make the invitations, choosing their favourite games, acting as guides and having their photos taken for displays. Our in-house ‘paperazzi’ photographers came along too so there’s a lovely record of the afternoon.
Parents and childen were so busy in fact that they didn’t have time for coffee and juice!
Literacy - Reading in pairs October 24, 2008
Posted by Hilery Williams in : Additional Support, Literacy, Resources, SFL, Training, reading , add a commenthttp://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6004293
Local authorities looking to use paired reading to improve literacy can now access tutor and trainer manuals and a parents’ leaflet on line.
From 2005 to 2008, Learning and Teaching Scotland worked with youth volunteering organisation ProjectScotland and pilot authorities to place young volunteers aged 16-25 in schools to support the development of literacy skills through paired reading.
Supporting diversity and equality through improved access June 20, 2008
Posted by Hilery Williams in : Access, ICT, Resources, inclusion , add a commenthttp://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2008/06/techdis.aspx
JISC reports on groundbreaking work that will provide support for delivery of resources to disabled students and staff.
The JISC TechDis Service has joined forces with the Publishers Association to provide resources which have the potential to transform the delivery of learning materials to disabled students and staff.
These two resources, developed in collaboration with the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) and several major publishers, will support the delivery of materials in alternative formats to meet the needs of people with a range of disabilities, a crucial requirement for equality of access for all students and staff in education and research. One of the resources – Publisher Lookup UK - will enable education providers and publishers to source electronic formats of textbooks for students with disabilities more quickly and efficiently than existing processes allow.
Good news for people needing to circumvent the barrier of print. And good news too, ultimately, for learners in countries whose libraries and schools are shockingly short of resources because of poverty and/or conflict. How terrific it must be to be a teacher in an African classroom to come across text books online. It will revolutionise children’s learning world wide. (And yes of course there are issues about connectivity and access to computers but that is being addressesd too, not least by the World Bank.)
Better access to learning resources for people with visual impairments May 12, 2008
Posted by Hilery Williams in : Access, Resources, reading , 2commentshttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/05/09141804
The Scottish Government has announced that young people with visual impairments, or other print disabilities, in Scotland will have access to the best educational material available from next term.
From August, they will be able to use the Scottish Books for All database powered by SCRAN, one of the largest educational online services, to access learning materials.
The database will contain a list of adapted materials which teachers can access to ensure that all pupils with additional support needs receive curriculum materials at the same time as their classmates in a format that meets their needs.
Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, announced the move during a debate around a call by RNIB Scotland for a national transcription service for young people.
He said:
“RNIB have been very helpful in drawing this issue to our attention but we believe that with the steps we have taken there is no need for the type of national transcription service they propose. We are totally committed to ensuring that all our pupils can access the curriculum. The Books for All report has enabled us to identify gaps in provision and take positive steps to ensure that we can achieve this aim.”
Graphic novels draw in reluctant readers May 2, 2008
Posted by Hilery Williams in : Access, Curriculum, Dyslexia, Resources, reading , 2commentsTESS reports on a recent continuing professional development session on using comics in the classroom by Dr Mel Gibson.
Ever considered using Viz’s Fat Slags to spark a class debate about gender representation? What about using Jackie to teach history? Or juxtaposing Japanese manga and Shakespeare? No?
In all likelihood, neither had teachers gathered at the National Library of Scotland, in Edinburgh, until they attended a recent continuing professional development session on using comics in the classroom by Dr Mel Gibson – or Dr Mel Comics, “because there’s no point in doing a Google search for Mel Gibson”.
Nat Edwards, head of education at the library, introduces Dr Gibson as a leading scholar on comics and graphic novels. Her job, she says, is to “enthuse” the assembled teachers, but she also wants to dispel any idea that such literature is “mostly violent and full of awfulness”.
Comics are, she argues, a means of developing literacy. There is, for example, the Classical Comics range which includes Shakespeare’s Henry V and Macbeth; there’s Persepolis, an autobiographical novel by Marjane Satrapi depicting her childhood in Iran after the revolution; and The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot about a girl who has suffered sexual abuse. “It’s a book about the power of literature and art to make life worth living again,” Dr Gibson says.
Barrington Stoke April 30, 2008
Posted by Hilery Williams in : Dyslexia, Resources, reading , add a commentTo celebrate the publisher’s 10th birthday, Barrington Stoke’s Primary Titles pack of 12 books is now half price at £25 and the downloads to accompany it are now £20 + VAT. The gr8reads download is now £30 + VAT.
Many schools in East Lothian use these books, written by established authors on dyslexia friendly paper and in accessible formats, for their more reluctant readers successfully.
Novels and non-fiction books with a reading age of 6 and 6.5 will be published soon under the ‘Solo’ banner. Many BS titles are consistent with the Accelerated Reader resource.
Race Equality resource April 17, 2008
Posted by Hilery Williams in : Resources, inclusion , add a comment http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/raceequality/index.asp
How do you recognise a racist incident? What should you do if one of your pupils uses a racist term? How can you promote better race relations in your school?
The new Race Equality resource helps teachers answer these questions and tackle the problem of racism in schools. The website clarifies what racism means in Scottish society today and identifies a wide range of racist behaviour. By looking at the effect racism has on victims and the broader community, it explores the role that schools can play in discouraging racist behaviour and dealing with it appropriately when it happens.
A selection of anti-racist teaching materials have been developed to encourage children to understand the history of Scotland’s diverse society, the difficulties faced by immigrants today, the causes and devastating effects of racism, and the importance of racial tolerance.
The new site supports the Scottish Government’s One Scotland campaign to tackle racist attitudes in Scotland.
News from Barrington Stoke April 8, 2008
Posted by Hilery Williams in : Additional Support, Dyslexia, Resources, reading , add a commentBarrington Stoke is a specialist publisher for dyslexic and struggling readers age 8-18+.The concept is simple: First class fiction by famous authors presented in a form that is easily accessible- Reading age 8 or below.
Already widely used by Scottish High Schools in both Learning Support departments and libraries, we now have growing demand from Primary schools.
2008 sees our 10th Birthday and we are happy to work with Advisers and Quality Improvement teams to support any events /initiatives that may be planned by offering a free book to teachers attending. Once teachers know about us we find they really like our books and say students are motivated to read more.
If you or any of your colleagues would like to arrange an appointment to see some of our titles and learn more about what Barrington Stoke can offer schools , please contact me on the number below.
Alternatively you can e-mail me at gaynor.fry@barringtonstoke.co.uk
As part of our 2008 birthday celebrations we will be launching a new series called SOLO for 11-13 year olds but with a reading age of 6.5. Our materials have always been well received and the success of the company has been built on producing quality fiction, written by award-winning authors.
Our books are never dumbed-down or patronising. They are compelling stories that children enjoy reading- very accessible so that readers build up confidence.
We make sure that our covers look good – they don’t look like schoolbooks or educational titles. Children are often embarrassed about having reading problems, so Barrington Stoke books don’t look any different to other publishers’ books. And there is never anything on the cover to suggest the books are for struggling readers.
Every detail matters
· We use our own font, Barrington Stoke Roman, which was designed for us by language specialists. It’s proven to help dyslexics avoid mixing up letters and ensure a smooth read.
· We print on cream or off-white paper, which is easier for dyslexics than reading black print on white.
· Paragraphs are never too long, and dialogue is clearly marked.
· Uneven lines help the reader keep his or her place
· Text size and line spacing are carefully calculated and tested – not too small, not too large – so we know we’re using the clearest and most readable layout.
· All books have chapters, to provide lots of natural breaks for readers.
You can find out more about us by visiting our website www.barringtonstoke.co.uk
however, I would be delighted to visit you too.
GAYNOR FRY
Educational Sales Representative
Mob:078 464 89880
e-mail: gaynor.fry@barringtonstoke.co.uk
Barrington Stoke Publishers
Children’s Publisher of the Year 2007 (Independent Publishing Awards)
Company reg no: SC169395
*Shortlisted for two 2008 Independent Publishing Awards - Children’s Publisher of the Year and Educational Publisher of the Year*
Additional Support For Learning Health website December 6, 2007
Posted by Liz Herd in : NHS ASL, Resources , 1 comment so far
I was at a Support For Learning teachers meeting yesterday for teachers in the Haddington and Tranent clusters (5/12) where Lesley Sargent, Speech Therapist gave a demonstration of the Health ASL website. Everyone there was very impressed with the amount of high quality, useful information it has on it. Many thanks to the team who put it together and to Lesley for an excellent demo.
The site has information about specific conditions, contact details for the various services and lots of tips for teachers. Well worth looking at if you haven’t already done so. You will find it at www.asl.scot.nhs.uk .
Also, something to look out for, on this site in the very near future, Jill Gorzkowska, the NHS ASL Therapy link person will be providing updates on joint working projects in East Lothian.
Liz Herd, Inclusion and Equality Officer
Resources October 11, 2007
Posted by Hilery Williams in : Resources , 1 comment so farHere are some references to Resources:
Readers for inexperienced upper primary pupils:
http://www.collinseducation.com/Subjects/details.aspx?group=1&subjectid=22&seriesid=92&itemid=847 Collins Big Cats materials, but there is the issue of decoding levels and interest levels. The one big plus about Big Cats is the variety of genres; not many schools use it yet - only up to P. 5 but P. 6/7 texts in the pipeline. http://www.phonicbooks.co.uk/ Dandelion readers - a Synthetic Phonics reading Scheme. I have a sample (Unit 10 Book 1 The Stink) if anyone wants a look.
If I can identify someone to trial either of these resources I might be able to purchase them! Let me know.
Secondary Schools
http://www.supportingdyslexicpupils.org.uk/ Secondary Resources. These are fantastic. 18 practical booklets on all aspects.
http://www.dyslexiatransition.org/ Transition - not just for secondaries of course. I met with a French teacher yesterday and we found the Modern Languages booklet full of good strategies and advice.
Both these will be in schools very shortly.
I’d be keen to hear how useful you find them.
Hilery
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