After those heady days when the National Literacy Strategy was being introduced, money for literacy resources is back to its usual frugal level. However, with most schools now reasonably well resourced, budgets can be used to plug any gaps that have appeared in literacy provision.
The gaps, of course, vary from school to school but certain areas are likely to be the focus of attention this year, for instance:
* Cross-curricular literacy has been marked out as a key issue by both Ofsted and the NLS. With the literacy hour well established in most schools, teachers are now urged to make more explicit links between the teaching of reading and writing skills and children's learning in other areas of the curriculum.
* As part of the drive on writing, there's a renewed emphasis on speaking, listening and drama: children who've familiarised themselves with a subject through talk and activity are far better equipped to write about it.
* After a year in which grammar hogged the limelight, attention may well swing back to phonics (preferably linked to handwriting, as in the recent NLS publication Developing Early Writing) and spelling.
Below are some new literacy products worth checking out in the Publishing Zone.
Collins
Stand P23
Spotlight on Fact, a new non-fiction scheme for developing cross-curricular reading and writing for infants and juniors, includes big books, core texts, writing frame posters and teacher's notes (also available on CD-rom).
Heinemann Library
Stand P35
For cross-curricular literacy, look out for Explore History on CD-rom (also available online), including original written and pictorial material, and biographies relating to QCA history topics.
Scholastic
Stand P3
For infants and juniors, a new series of Writing Guides offers practical support for shared and guided writing. Each guide focuses on a specific genre. New early years publishing includes Around the Year (the seasons and multicultural festivals), a series covering the early learning goals.
Storysack
Stand P7
The latest Storysack features The Journey, a rhyming text for key stage 1 (also available as a big book) and accompanying finger puppet, artefacts, game, fact book on rivers and tape.
Evans Brothers
Stand P11
Literacy Line-Up for key stage 2 consists of six books (small and big versions) for exploring different writing genres.
Hodder & Stoughton
Stand P19
Hodder English Starters 10-14 are 10-to 15-minute interactive lesson starters for use with any course or scheme of work: one book of Word Level starters and one of Sentence Level.
Nelson Thornes
Stand P37/39
Sparklers are new reading books for reluctant readers of six and above. The Alphabet Kit for four-to six-year-olds incorporates a CD, song book, wallchart and games; Phonics Year by Year includes posters and a teacher's book.
Questions Publishing
Stand P27
Look out for the Early Years Language Scheme, which introduces young children to a second language through role-play, singing, poetry, dance and mime. Could be just the thing for developing phonological and linguistic awareness.
PCET
Stand P17
Look out for new biographical posters on the authors Anne Fine, Roald Dahl, Jacqueline Wilson and Dick King-Smith, with accompanying teacher's notes.
A&C Black
Stand P29
New publishing includes What's the story?, a book of games and activities for creative story-making; Developing Literacy activity books based on poetry; and a series of musical playscripts based on Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes.
LCP
Stand P21
The most recent addition to LCP's Literacy Files are Writing Resource Files for key stages 1 and 2, linking writing activities to popular big books.
Brilliant Publications
Stand P33
A new, four-book series of Support Activity books for slower learners in junior phase covers sentence level, text level, phonics and vocabulary development.
Wayland
Stand P19
Four poetry anthologies, Poemotions, focus on the emotions of anger, sadness, jealousy and fear; The Shakespeare Collection offers illustrated retellings of popular plays for upper primary classes; Superphonics is a new graded phonics scheme.
Sue Palmer is a regular contributor to TES Primary. Her seminar at the Under 12s Exhibition, Think Before You Write, at 1pm on Saturday October 6, looks at practical ways to develop children's cross-curricular literacy skills
