Literature in Learning

Literature in Learning is a joint initiative involving most literature organisations in Scotland.

Find out more about LiL

LiL News and Events - October

PEOPLE BEHIND THE PAGES - ROBERT BURNS
As part of the People Behind the Pages exhibition, currently running at The Museum of Edinburgh, Edinburgh primary schools are being invited to participate in a ‘design your own book cover’ competition with prizes in three age groups – P1 & 2, P3 - 5, and P6 & 7 – being awarded at a ceremony at the exhibition in January.

Download the information sheet and entry form

TWO NEW TITLES FROM SCOTNOTES STUDY GUIDES
Matthew Fitt's But n Ben A-Go-Go by Christine Robinson

Ian Rankin's Black & Blue by Christopher Nicol

Scotnotes provide students with valuable aids to writers and texts within the Scottish literary tradition. There are now twenty-four titles in this series, ranging from the fifteenth-century poetics of William Dunbar to the present-day writings of Iain Banks, Liz Lochhead, Edwin Morgan, Ian Rankin. 

NEWS FROM ITCHY COO
In September, Itchy Coo launched Itchy Cool, a brand new website for weans and bairns that like tae write, read, draw and hae fun wi the Scots Language. Itchy Cool is the new hame for aw Itchy Coo competitions and will be rinnin a wheen o them for aw ages ilka year. Forby, it gies pupils the chaunce tae display their Scots Language work on the Itchy Cool website for awbody tae see.
 
"Love your website. Perfect! Will be using as a resource when we have Scots as our Language of the Block for Oct-Dec."
Marilyn, teacher, EAL, Langside Primary, Glasgow
 
In its first month, Itchy Cool has had ower twa thoosand hits and has proved tae be a muckle big hit wi pupils across Scotland and owerseas tae. Tae learn mair and jine in the fun, visit www.itchy-cool.com

RABBIE'S RHYMES: ROBERT BURNS FOR WEE FOLK is published on 13th November in time for the 250th anniversary celebrations of Robert Burns's birth in 2009. It's a lift-the-flap board book compiled by James Robertson and Matthew Fitt, and designed and illustrated by award-winning artist Karen Sutherland. 8 very short extracts from his work introduce Burns to pre-school and early primary children. The book is great fun and hopefully will encourage parents, teachers and bairns to recite the lines from the poems and perhaps also to sing songs like ‘A Red, Red Rose’ and ‘Auld Lang Syne’. A sound-file of the text will also be available on the Itchy Coo website www.itchy-coo.com.

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL 2009 NEWS
The Edinburgh International Book Festival was a huge success again this year and work is already underway on next year’s programme which will include plenty of great events for schools, education professionals, families and young people. Dates for the next Book Festival are 15 – 31 August 2009. The schools brochure will be out in April – just after the Easter break and the main brochure will be distributed mid-June. In the meantime, you can hear recordings of a large number of this year’s events on the Book Festival’s website, and you can listen to them for free. There is an archive of events from previous years too – plenty to enlighten and entertain in the coming months. If you would like to make sure you are on the mailing list to receive a Book Festival brochure, please email your request to mailinglist@edbookfest.co.uk  

EDUCATION EVENTS FROM SCOTTISH POETRY LIBRARY  
Edinburgh Schools Workshops for November
  
Poetry and Parliament at the Scottish Parliament, 25th November
 
Ghosts of War at the National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle, 5th, 6th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th  November
 
Inverness Poems United, 13th – 28th November
The Scottish Poetry Library, together with Oxfam, and with the support of the Highland One World Group will be running a series of workshops in Inverness High School and four Inverness primary schools, looking at themes of identity and migration. Poet Gerry Cambridge will work with Primary 5-7 pupils and S3 English students for two sessions in each school.
 
Building Biographies: Creative Writing Masterclass for Teachers, with Valerie Gillies, 3rd December
At The Lighthouse, Glasgow
Valerie Gillies, professional writer and Edinburgh Makar from 2005 to 2008, will lead a practical exploration of how architecture and buildings can provide inspiration for creative writing. Using The Lighthouse’s architecture exhibition “Building Biographies” as a starting point, teachers will learn a variety of creative writing ideas and techniques that can be developed for classroom projects. Run by The Lighthouse in collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library
09:30-15:30 (registration from 09:00)
 
Places are still available for some of these dates. Contact Lorna Irvine on 0131 557 2876 or education@spl.org.uk. 

For further details on all of the above go to Scottish Poetry Library’s Education pages.

More about LiL

We are collaborating to support learning professionals develop creative uses of language with children, as well as disseminate example of good practice. LiL exists for the benefit of teachers, librarians, writers, storytellers, poets, playwrights, education advisers, cultural co-ordinators, university staff and parents.

Literature in Learning began as a shared project between Scottish Storytelling Centre, the Scottish Poetry Library and Scottish Book Trust. In its first incarnation it focussed on promoting the development of innovative and sustainable projects that explore the creative use of language in classrooms, with teachers, writers, poets and storytellers working alongside children to enrich their experience over an extended period of time.

The initiative aimed to ensure professional development for the adults involved, and looks to celebrate outcomes as well as finding ways of sharing effective practice. Literature in Learning will be investigating the long-term impact of projects on the adults and children involved.

Final report from phase 1. - download.

The new phase of Literature in Learning aims to build on the work from the pilot project, incorporating many more of Scotland's literature organisations who will work together to grow their relationship with the learning sector in a meaningful and impactful way.

In this section of the website you will find:

• Links to all of the literature organisations who make up Literature in Learning - taking you directly to the relevant areas of their websites.
• Information about A Curriculum for Excellence
• Case studies on extended creative language projects
• Advice on how to run your own creative language project
• Resources from each of the LiL organisations (under development)