Education Today

Littlescribe is an Australian online educational writing platform which kickstarts school childrens’ writing by linking them with published authors.

The platform is now making literacy services free to teachers and parents working to keep home learning on track.

Littlescribe is designed to be fun for kids, but also curriculum-linked and has seen a spike in both its social following and new subscribers in the past week as primary and high school students face the challenges of working remotely.

“We had planned to open up to individual families later this year, but we’re rolling out our family programs early because of the learning changes brought about by these unfamiliar times,” Littlescribe founder and CEO Jenny Atkinson said.

The free membership, valid for the next three months, gives parents and teachers access to 350 digital and printable creative writing resources to help with the transition to home learning.

In New South Wales, Littlescribe qualifies as a Creative Kids Provider, meaning parents, guardians and carers can claim their $100 Creative Kids voucher (valid until June 30, 2020) which will fund Littlescribe’s “Ultimate Creative Home Tool Kit”.

“With many children now learning from home, Littlescribe is providing tools, tips and direct access to popular Australian authors to help support teachers, engage parents and make the learning experience for kids fun and positive,” said Ms Atkinson.

“Littlescribe has been tried and tested by thousands of educators, who are enthusiastic about the outcomes.”

At the heart of Littlescribe is its signature co-authoring program, where a student can write a digital or printed book with an established author or illustrator. The “Basic Creative Home Tool Kit” is $19.80 and gives access to six months of writing activities.

There are currently 12 of Australia’s trusted authors working with the organisation, including Andrew Daddo and Jackie French.

Ambassador for Littlescribe, Andrew Daddo, believes every child has the capacity to create a book. “Kids have these fantastic imaginations – their minds are literally going at a million miles an hour. With this program they can harness those ideas, getting their thoughts down on the page. To be able to do that is a gift,” he said.

“Here’s our chance as authors – as the writers of the books they actually read – to help them with the knowledge and tools we’ve picked up the hard way. Every child can write. Now they can have their own book as well.”

From Tuesday to Friday at 11am (AEDT) between March 31 and April 10, Littlescribe will host a free 20-minute daily LIVE session on Facebook inviting kids to meet their favourite Aussie children’s authors. They will learn all about the popular co-author program.

The first Facebook session will be hosted by Andrew Daddo, author of more than 25 children's books. Other authors to be featured across the fortnight include Jackie French, Tristan Bancks, Oliver Phommavanh, Deborah Abela and author/illustrator James Foley. One author will feature each day.

Littlescribe is an award-winning company, officially launched in Australia in 2018. It is an educational writing platform, written by teachers and connected to the national curriculum (Australia, New South Wales, Victoria). Designed for primary and high school students, it includes rich and engaging resources.

Littlescribe inspires and motivates children to write by transforming their writing projects into digital and printed books to share with their class, family and friends.

Recently, the Littlescribe co-author program partnered with the Royal Far West organisation to exchange stories between regional, remote and city schools.

Littlescribe has collaborated with Emerging Minds, the National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health, to develop writing programs specifically for children who have experienced trauma from significant events such as drought, bushfires, floods and now, COVID-19.

Kids' online creative writing platform enlists Aussie authors and offers free resources