Literature in Learning
Literature in Learning is a national network which has been set up to support education staff and creative professionals who are working together to develop creative uses of language with children and parents.
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This new initiative aims to promote the development of innovative and sustainable projects that explore the creative use of language in classrooms: teachers, writers, poets and storytellers working alongside children to enrich their experience over an extended period of time. |
It aims to ensure professional development for the adults involved, allowing them to share and celebrate effective outcomes. Literature in Learning will also be investigating the long-term impact of projects on the adults and children who take part. To find out more about Literature in Learning and the support available for schools wishing to work with writers, please visit the Literature in Learning website.
Literature in Learning is a joint initiative by the Scottish Book Trust, the Scottish Poetry Library and the Scottish Storytelling Centre with the support of the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery. As it grows and becomes established, other literature organisations will be invited to play a full and active role. In the near future, further information will be sent to Local Authorities explaining the scope of the initiative.
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Many storytelling projects with children have been taking place throughout Scotland: North Lanarkshire, Glasgow, the Scottish Borders, Ross and Cromarty, the Western Isles, Edinburgh, Aberdeenshire, Falkirk, West Lothian, Dundee and Renfrewshire. |
One example is a project the Scottish Storytelling Centre has been working on since January 2005 in collaboration with North Lanarkshire Council Education Resource Service. A programme of visits to every nursery in the authority has been put in place, with the aim of providing taster workshops for parents of nursery children. The workshops offer tips and techniques for telling stories, rhymes and riddles to children aged 3-6 with advice on how to use the family Fun Bags provided by North Lanarkshire Council. The Fun Bags are full of prompts, toys and books. To read about the many other projects that have been taking place across Scotland, visit the Literature in Learning website.
The project has several medium and longer term aims. These include:
- Establishing a collaborative network of writers and storytellers with teachers and education workers across Scotland in order to stimulate, inform and support a wide range of initiatives and projects
- To link and resource the network through dynamic web communication, responding to new opportunities and ideas as they arise within a dynamic linguistic and literary environment
Providing a validated framework for continuing professional development within both the education and cultural sectors
- Co-ordinating training events, conferences and consultations
- Piloting new ways of working, stimulating research, and evaluating new models and initiatives
- Establishing models for sustainable long-term patterns of activity and funding for literature in education within Scotland
- Maximising the benefit of links with UK, European and world-wide organisations and networks, including UNESCO
- Making creative language use a motivating factor in personal and social attainment for all age groups in all parts of Scotland
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Literature in Learning has also set up an e-network which gives you the chance to keep up with project developments interactively. It allows you to post documents, create web links, add dates to the calendar and email the group. |
This is a great way of sharing information, so why not visit the Smartgroup website to see what an online community can offer? To register, please email Literature in Learning with your contact details, role and areas of interest. They will then send an invitation to join the group with instructions to access the site.
Supported by the National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council.
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