Shared Practice: Developing Staff Knowledge of Contemporary Children’s Literature (February 2026 recording)

To nurture a love of reading in children and young people, teachers need rich repertoires of contemporary children's literature and other texts. In this webinar, the Scottish Book Trust team share practical and inspiring ways in which our programmes and resources can help widen school staff’s knowledge of contemporary children’s literature. This webinar can be used to support key area 1.2.5 Staff Knowledge of Contemporary Children’s Literature of the Reading Schools Framework.

Guest speakers Michelle Connor and Kirsty Gorman share their experiences of developing staff knowledge and awareness of contemporary literature in their own school settings and provide advice for other practitioners focused on manageable and achievable steps. Michelle Connor is Literacy Lead at Denny High School, Falkirk, and Kirsty Gorman is Literacy Coordinator at Juniper Green Primary, Edinburgh.

Webinar: Shared Practice: Developing Staff Knowledge of Contemporary Children’s Literature

Research insights and in practice suggestions (21mins 47s)

Scottish Book Trust’s Emily Ilett and Clara Owen give an introduction to the research around the importance of staff knowledge of contemporary children’s literature and share practical suggestions for how this knowledge can be developed in school settings.

Guest speaker: Michelle Connor (12mins 23secs)

Michelle Connor, Literacy Lead at Denny High School, shares her experience in developing staff knowledge and confidence around contemporary children’s literature, including recommending titles connected to specific subjects, delivering CPD and facilitating popular ‘reading across the curriculum’ events.

Guest speaker: Kirsty Gorman (11mins 31s)

Kirsty Gorman, Literacy Coordinator at Juniper Green Primary, shares how the practitioner enquiry she undertook, as part of the Scottish Book Trust Developing and Sustaining a Reading for Pleasure Culture course(this will open in a new window), helped her identify staff knowledge of contemporary children’s literature as an area for development in her setting. Kirsty shares manageable steps to help support staff development, for example by providing regular book recommendations and utilising school newsletters.

Further resources (6mins 16secs)

Emily and Clara signpost to Scottish Book Trust resources(this will open in a new window), literary awards and external resources where you can find contemporary and diverse book recommendations. If you would like more information on any of these resources, please contact schools@scottishbooktrust.com(this will open in a new window).