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1.6 Noble Primary School, Bellshill, North Lanarkshire

Noble Primary School

Diary of :
Literacy Development Officer and Reading Recovery Tutor in North Lanarkshire

Thursday 6 June 2002

8.30 - Leave home with two Danish teachers visiting North Lanarkshire to see Reading Recovery and then Literacy Strategy in action.

9.30 - Teachers in Literacy Base for Reading Recovery inset, led by me. Two lessons took place behind the screen. These were followed by teacher discussion enabling them to link reading recovery theory and practice, challenge their previous assumptions about effective literacy learning and move forward in their teaching of challenging children. Danish teachers enjoyed the opportunity to participate. Both children's mums attended the session and expressed delight in their child's progress.

12 noon - lunch, then Danish teachers taken to Overtown Primary to watch a P3 writing lesson based on the approach suggested in the North Lanarkshire Writing Pack.

1.30 - I visited Muirhouse Primary where the Literacy Coach (P1 teacher) had identified six children unable to read much text independently using Heinemann Benchmark kit. A guided reading approach was suggested enabling the children to read for meaning and the teacher to prompt them to use a range of strategies. The teacher was also reminded of the components of effective reading instruction and how to incorporate these into her lessons and link writing and reading to consolidate children's learning.

2.30 - Meeting with Base Manager from the Network Team - aim to link more closely with support service and work towards having two trained Reading Recovery teachers in each base to provide Reading Recovery in small schools.

4.30 - Meeting Primary Language Advisor and Literacy Development Officer in local hotel to enable them to chat and exchange ideas with Danish teachers.

6.30 - Back to Literacy Base with Adviser and Literacy Development Officer to speak to School Board and inform them of the range of activities taking place in the Literacy Base and the mutual benefits to the school and the base in sharing resources, rooms, etc.

Evening finished with cheese and wine and the opportunity to chat with parents and Head Teacher.