Spittal pupils publish their own book project
Literary week project sees them write, illustrate and edit
Spittal Nursery received a special gift - a book which every child in the school had a hand in creating.
Jenny and Joe’s Day at the Beach, was written, illustrated and edited by youngsters in every class in a literacy week project with a difference.
Based on two fictional characters from the school’s nursery, the book follows them on a series of adventures on a day out with their mum.
Each class took responsibility for a section of the story, coming up with their own ideas and writing it themselves, as well as illustrating pictures to go alongside it.
Once complete, the P7 class edited the story and designed the front and back covers.
The book was recently gifted to the nursery class, with some of the P7 pupils taking turns to read the story to the younger children.
Teacher Sarah Thomson, lead literacy coordinator at Spittal Primary, said she was proud of the children’s achievement.
“It is lovely to see the story progress as the illustrations progress from P1 right the way through to P6. It’s a journey.
“The children knew it was a whole school project so they wanted to make sure it was their best piece of work, both in their illustrations and writing.
“They had no more than 50 words per page because it is a nursery book, so the challenge of that itself got them excited. By being the author they got that experience and challenge.
“The project helped them to think about not only reading a book but the process of producing a book as well.”
A proper hard back version of the book is soon to be created and stocked in Rutherglen Library, where the children will be able to see and borrow the book they helped create.
Literacy Week at the school coincided with the First Minister’s reading attainment challenge which seeks to boost reading and writing standards amongst Scotland’s primary school children.