Noteworthy

Waikato Literacy Association - End of Term 1, 2021

Message from our President

Hopefully you managed to enjoy a few Easter eggs or perhaps found a quiet place to bury your head in a good book (in my case a bit of Dr Suess- one of my niece's favourite authors).

Our Literacy Through Play event went smoothly last month and we are now looking ahead towards our student event Libraries Alive in June.

Give some thought going to this year's National Literacy Conference in Napier later in the year. We are currently seeking applicants for the Marie Clay Awards (see information below) as the closing deadline approaches.

Have a great break!

Todd Burton

Literacy Through Play Event, March 2021

The latest seminar Teaching Literacy in a Play Based Classroom at Te Ao Marama School with Linda Cheer, from Longworth Education, encouraged us to think about how we can bring more fantasy and magic to our classrooms to enhance literacy and play.

Linda offered many practical ideas to incorporate oral language, reading, and writing into play, including pirate treasure boxes, fairy doors, recipes for potions, and receiving and sending letters to imagined worlds. She suggested bringing literacy tools to children’s play, like whiteboards, signs and clipboards, which will inspire children to use these as they play.

She also spoke of the importance of teacher involvement in play and how by observing and joining in the play we can fill the gaps in oral language, teach social skills, help with reading and writing and see the child as a whole. We can work with them to add on to what they already know, celebrate the process rather than the product, and cater to their urges and interests.

Thanks Linda for an exciting seminar with loads of ideas to support and engage our tamariki in rich, authentic learning.

Phillippa Ramsay

Literacy Through Play in Action at Matangi School

Thank you for a wonderful and inspiring event. I felt challenged/encouraged to ‘bring literacy into the play’.

Today, while my students were playing in the sandpit, using their imagination to ‘plant seeds’ (rocks) in their garden, they wanted to protect it from other children playing with water in the sandpit. I suggested that they write a sign. So we did!

(Heather Downing, Teacher, Matangi School)

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Literacy Through Play - in action at Matangi School

Thank you for a wonderful and inspiring event. I felt challenged/encouraged to ‘bring literacy into the play’.

Today, while my students were playing in the sandpit, using their imagination to ‘plant seeds’ (rocks) in their garden, they wanted to protect it from other children playing with water in the sandpit. I suggested that they write a sign. So we did! (Heather Downing)