Olympics: ‘Talk About It Write About It’ - with Literacy Counts & Picture News
Discover the Power of Literacy: 'Ready Steady Write' Olympics with Picture News
In June 2024, Literacy Counts and Picture News joined forces to ignite excitement in classrooms in preparation for the Paris Olympics. Led by Gareth from Literacy Counts and Jo from Picture News, these ‘Talk About It, Write About It’ webinars aimed to equip educators with valuable resources and insights to enhance oracy and literacy skills through engaging, real-world content.
During these free webinars, participants had the opportunity to delve into a treasure trove of related resources:
'Ready Steady Write' Olympic Units YR–Y6: These comprehensive resources provided tailored writing units spanning three weeks, suitable for the entire school.
Picture News Olympic Assembly Packs: Perfect for launching discussions on global events and inspiring student writing.
The sessions weren't just about exciting, free resources; they also highlighted:
The importance of oracy in schools: How verbal communication enriches students' ability to express themselves through writing.
Connecting world events to writing: How discussing current affairs can inspire meaningful written reflections.
Whole School Consistency: Insights into integrating 'Ready Steady Write' and Picture News materials seamlessly into the whole school.
Jo shared her thoughts from the webinars:
“It was very exciting to collaborate with Literacy Counts this week to present a bank of ideas and resources to support schools with oracy. At Picture News we are passionate about using current affairs to encourage children to discuss, debate and use their voices - challenging, impacting and making a difference to the world. During the webinar we shared ideas of how to use current affairs, including the upcoming Olympics, as an exciting and engaging stimulus for children to develop a range of emotion vocabulary; ask questions and think, talk and write in more detail. Every week Picture News schools receive a current news story, an image, a thought-provoking question and a variety of teaching resources. If you would like a free sample, please head over to our website www.picture-news.co.uk.”
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Jo and the entire Picture News team for their collaboration.
If you missed the webinars, don't worry! You can still access all the resources discussed:
Visit Literacy Counts to request your free writing units!
Explore more about the award-winning 'Ready Steady Write' and how it can transform your school’s writing outcomes on the Ready Steady Write page.
Visit Picture News to request your free assembly packs.
Stay connected with us for future updates, events, and collaborations that aim to enrich literacy education. Follow Literacy Counts on social media and subscribe to our newsletter.
Thank you to all the educators who joined us for the Olympics webinars. Let's continue to improve outcomes in reading and writing!
Ready Steady Write (new and improved Read to Write) is comprehensive and evidence-based. It provides a sequenced, ambitious curriculum, that places quality literature at its core. Our units have been carefully mapped out to match the entire statutory curriculum for writing. And now there is an exciting update - the new PLUS+ features (free for members) encompasses new units including Shakespeare (Year 2 - Year 6), Olympics (EYFS - Year 6) with much more to come. These Ready Steady Write PLUS+ units offer more choice for your school while supporting curriculum design. See the impact in your school and get your free sample access today by emailing hello@literacycounts.co.uk, calling 07522 514759 or visiting www.literacycounts.co.uk.
