A handbook on early intervention has been produced for teachers and nursery nurses by Edinburgh’s education department.
Written by Greg McMillan, one of the psychologists behind the successful Pilton literacy project, and Moira Leslie, an early years specialist at Moray House Institute of Education, The Early Intervention Handbook examines background research and relates it to classroom practice. Chapters look at factors promoting reading success, the development of phonological skills, writing at the early stages and parental involvement. Price pound;9.99 from the City of Edinburgh Council, Education Department, Publications Unit, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1UQ.
* Worried about the cost of a private maths tutor? Jim McLelland was shocked to discover that private tutoring for the Higher can mount up to pound;400, so set himself the target of producing “a CD-Rom that would act like a tutor for a tenth of the cost”. The end product is Personal Tutor - Maths, which lets students work with model answers to 1995-97 Higher exam questions. The CD has been produced in association with the Scottish Qualifications Authority and is available for pound;39.99 from SQA, Sales and Despatch, Hanover House, 24 Douglas Street, Glasgow G2 7NQ.
* A set of three books on “paired” maths and science has been produced by Keith Topping, director of the Centre for Paired Learning at Dundee University. Paired learning is the process whereby parents, peers and non-professional tutors interact with children through games and activity sheets to develop a deeper understanding of - in this case - maths and science. Parental Involvement and Peer Tutoring in Mathematics and Science (pound;13.99) and The Paired Maths Handbook (pound;12.99) by Topping and Judi Bamford, plus The Paired Science Handbook by Topping (pound;12.99) are published by David Fulton Publishers.
* A website for modern studies, set up by the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum, offers a “one stop shop” for students and teachers seeking information for school projects. Regarded as a pilot for providing “quality, on-line curriculum support tailored to the needs of both teachers and young people”, the website will link users to existing material on the Internet and provide specially commissioned resources. The website address is http:\\www.scc.ac.uk - then click on “curriculum support”.
