Learning to Read in the Early Years: Collaborative Reflection and Dialogue Condensed Programme

Published 25/02/2026.  Last updated 11/11/2026

This programme focuses on engagement with Education Scotland’s Learning to Read in the Early Years resource, explicitly connecting research to classroom practice.

Through engagement with the professional learning resource (videos, reflective questions, signposted resources), the course is designed to inform thinking, planning and pedagogy, support self-evaluation of your current practice, prompt reflection and facilitate small changes to practice.

Please note this version of the Learning to Read in the Early Years Professional Learning programme is an adapted and more concise version of our full programme. The programme outlined here offers a flexible way to engage with the core content over a shorter time frame, while the full programme provides a more extended and in‑depth focus on the resource and practitioner enquiry.

This programme is open to early years and primary educators. It is most relevant for those working with children at early or first level, given its focus on early reading.

Participants will explore: 

  • building a literacy-rich environment through interactions, experiences, and spaces

  • developing children’s reading skills 

  • supporting the development of independent and engaged readers.

By completing this programme, participants will:

  • develop and consolidate knowledge and practice of how children learn to read in the early years

  • be supported to interpret Scotland’s curriculum guidance and make research-informed decisions for learning and teaching

  • engage in professional dialogue

  • undertake self-evaluation of current practice

The programme runs for a period of six weeks. 

The current cohort is closed however you can express interest in future cohorts using the form at the bottom of this page.

Participants are expected to attend two live online sessions: an introductory session at the beginning of the programme and a ‘Sharing the Learning’ session at the end. 

In addition, participants will engage in professional dialogue with others through Education Scotland’s online environment, Collaborative Spaces, in between the live sessions. This will involve sharing your own reflections and responding to the reflections of others.

The total course time accounts for 9 hours. This includes:

  • 2 live online sessions: 3 hours in total

  • reading/watching resources: 2 to 4 hours

  • reflecting/commenting online: 2 hours

“Taking part has given me the opportunity to reflect on my own practice, drawing on what I have read, listened to and discussed through the suite of resources and engagement with other practitioners. This is prompting me to make changes in my approach to teaching phonics, classroom set up and pace of learning”
Class Teacher

“The resource is brilliant and supports reflection. It supports you to think about how to best meet the needs of the children you work with. After participating in the programme, I am going to use the suite of videos to support our nursery in taking forward literacy in our School Improvement plan next session”
ELC Practitioner 

Applications for the current cohort (Cohort 2) of the programme are now closed.

Please complete the Learning to Read in the Early Years Condensed Expression of Interest Form if you would like to take part in Cohort 3. Once dates for Cohort 3 have been confirmed, you will be contacted using the details provided and invited to complete a registration form.
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Learning to Read in the Early Years: Collaborative Reflection and Dialogue Condensed Programme

Published 25/02/2026.  Last updated 11/11/2026

This programme focuses on engagement with Education Scotland’s Learning to Read in the Early Years resource, explicitly connecting research to classroom practice.

Through engagement with the professional learning resource (videos, reflective questions, signposted resources), the course is designed to inform thinking, planning and pedagogy, support self-evaluation of your current practice, prompt reflection and facilitate small changes to practice.

Please note this version of the Learning to Read in the Early Years Professional Learning programme is an adapted and more concise version of our full programme. The programme outlined here offers a flexible way to engage with the core content over a shorter time frame, while the full programme provides a more extended and in‑depth focus on the resource and practitioner enquiry.

This programme is open to early years and primary educators. It is most relevant for those working with children at early or first level, given its focus on early reading.

Participants will explore: 

  • building a literacy-rich environment through interactions, experiences, and spaces

  • developing children’s reading skills 

  • supporting the development of independent and engaged readers.

By completing this programme, participants will:

  • develop and consolidate knowledge and practice of how children learn to read in the early years

  • be supported to interpret Scotland’s curriculum guidance and make research-informed decisions for learning and teaching

  • engage in professional dialogue

  • undertake self-evaluation of current practice

The programme runs for a period of six weeks. 

The current cohort is closed however you can express interest in future cohorts using the form at the bottom of this page.

Participants are expected to attend two live online sessions: an introductory session at the beginning of the programme and a ‘Sharing the Learning’ session at the end. 

In addition, participants will engage in professional dialogue with others through Education Scotland’s online environment, Collaborative Spaces, in between the live sessions. This will involve sharing your own reflections and responding to the reflections of others.

The total course time accounts for 9 hours. This includes:

  • 2 live online sessions: 3 hours in total

  • reading/watching resources: 2 to 4 hours

  • reflecting/commenting online: 2 hours

“Taking part has given me the opportunity to reflect on my own practice, drawing on what I have read, listened to and discussed through the suite of resources and engagement with other practitioners. This is prompting me to make changes in my approach to teaching phonics, classroom set up and pace of learning”
Class Teacher

“The resource is brilliant and supports reflection. It supports you to think about how to best meet the needs of the children you work with. After participating in the programme, I am going to use the suite of videos to support our nursery in taking forward literacy in our School Improvement plan next session”
ELC Practitioner 

Applications for the current cohort (Cohort 2) of the programme are now closed.

Please complete the Learning to Read in the Early Years Condensed Expression of Interest Form if you would like to take part in Cohort 3. Once dates for Cohort 3 have been confirmed, you will be contacted using the details provided and invited to complete a registration form.
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