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Shetland children need modern stories

A report on research undertaken into the use of Shetland dialect in nursery schools across the islands has discovered that there is insufficient provision of material for children who speak the dialect.
Frances Tait, who was commissioned by Shetland Islands Council to carry out the research, discovered that 42% of children were dialect speakers. However, there was no coherent policy in any of the schools surveyed on how the language should be encouraged. Tait discovered that one of the most commonly cited reasons for not using dialect in situations like "story time" was that there wasn't any up to date material for the teachers to use.
In her recommendations, Tait outlines what she thinks needs to be done to encourage the dialect and to get the children using it. As well as developing a general dialect policy, she suggests the following:

1. Up date existing Early Years Resource Pack with:
- Pictures, poems, rhymes, songs, stories and tasks.
- Relevant, child friendly material.
- Audio recordings on CD
- List of other available resources.
2. Distribute a copy of at least one storybook in dialect to every local authority nursery class and partner provider.

3. Create story sacks, which can be provided through a lending service.

4. Produce a list of dialect speakers willing to visit pre-school settings detailing particular subjects and activities to be carried out with children.

5. Offer workshops and training for staff.
Dialect group Shetland Forwirds has welcomed the report and is looking forward to having an official response to it form Shetland Islands Council.
To read the report in more detail click here.