Making and broadcasting a radio show can help students who aren’t confident with literacy to explore their creativity. Caroline Twigge explains.
We started the Chepping View primary school ‘radio show’ podcast at the beginning of September 2008. We had no idea if we could even do it! Nobody imagined that within a year we would have gained national recognition – winning the Arqiva commercial radio award Most outstanding schools’ radio station 2009.
We approached John Hampden grammar school, a local technology college, to ask for volunteer students to help the children with researching, recording and editing. This project enhanced the existing school links and was beneficial for pupils from both schools.
“You’re actually doing it [writing] for real” (Ahmynah)
Scriptwriting was an opportunity for the children to explore ‘real life literacy’. In the first year, the children sent emails, wrote letters to school staff, wrote jingles, wrote to members of the wider community, wrote scripts, designed posters and carried out surveys. The children see podcasting as a ‘fun lesson’ – they don’t realise the many skills they’re learning.