FAMILIES
STEP provides families with help to make sure that you get the education that you are entitled to. You can find someone to help you in the area where you are living — even if you are travelling. You can find information to help you make choices about your children’s education. You can find lots of ways to get involved in education both at home and in the community.
About
education
Learning
Resources
Getting help
where you
live
Learning at
home
–WHAT FAMILIES NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EDUCATION–
–STEP STARTER SACKS–
Launched in 2021, STEP Starter Sack home-play programme supports play-based learning at home for Gypsy/Traveller children. All Traveller families taking part receive a ‘STEP Starter Sack’ which contains materials and activities to help you explore play as a family. The Starter Sacks contain activity cards with links to the programme web page. Here you’ll find exciting videos we’ve made to help you explore the sack.
–FIND OUT ABOUT ABOUT DIGITAL LEARNING–
WHERE TO START
PLANNING LEARNING
USING THE LEARNING APP
Find more resources and information about digital learning here
–THE ABC OF TRAVELLER LIFE–
Select a letter to reveal an illustration of Traveller life. Use the questions to prompt conversations and try out some of the activities at home with your children. The alphabet was created by Scottish Traveller Kelly Stewart and artist Jo Waterhouse.
A is for Adam’s bairns
A is for Adam’s bairns< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet Book QUESTIONSIn this picture Jo Waterhouse, the artist, has created a collage. The word collage comes from the French word coller which means to stick different things together. We usually do...
B is for Bow tent
B is for Bow tent< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSHave you ever been inside a bow tent? Ask your family what they know about bow tents. What were the good things about a bow tent? What might have been the challenges? What things do...
C is for Chavvies
C is for Chavvies< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSWhat is a chavvie? The artist has put all the chavvies on a white background. Can you imagine where each of the chavvies might be (home, school, travelling)? Each of the chavvies in...
D is for Dilly
D is for Dilly < Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSWhat other words do you use to say dilly? How many dillies are in your family? ACTIVITIESCan you make a drawing or write a short story about your favourite dilly? ABOUT Dilly Dilly is...
E is for Eerie
E is for Eerie < Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSWhen do you feel eerie? Are there particular places that make you feel afraid? What about old or abandoned buildings or the woods at night-time? What do you do to help yourself feel...
F is for famels
F is for famels< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSThe artist Jo Waterhouse has created this beautiful illustration of famels. Can you tell how she has created the illustration? Do you like the purple background? Do you like the colour...
G is for Gadgie
G is for Gadgie< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSWhat other names do we use for males? Do you know the Cant word for woman? What words do your family use for females? What words do your family use for boys and girls?ACTIVITIESDraw a...
H is for Horse
H is for Horse< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSHorses have been used by Travellers for hundreds of years. Can you guess all the things that they have been used for?ACTIVITIESIf you owned a horse what would you do? Draw a picture of...
I is for Ill-tricket
I is for Ill-tricket < Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSDid you know what ill-tricket means? Does anyone in your family use the word? Is there a character in a book who is an ill-tricket? What about a brother or a sister or even a pet?...
J is for jockey stick
J is for jockey stick< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSWater is precious when you camp. Sometimes it needs to be carried from a burn, river or coo’s (cow’s) trough if the camp is not near running water. Where does water come from? What...
K is for Kinchins
K is for Kinchins < Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSWhat other names do we use to say boy? How many kinchins are in your family? ACTIVITIESLook at the picture of a kinchin created by Jo Waterhouse. What kind of kinchin do you...
L is for Learning
L is for Learning< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSThink about what you learn in different places. What things do you learn at home, in school and outdoors? Who do you learn from at home? What things do they teach you? What is your...
M is for Manshie
M is for Manshie< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSLook at the illustration above by the artist Jo Waterhouse. Do you like the way the manshie looks? What kind of person do you think she is? How would you describe her.ACTIVITIESDraw...
N is for Neighbours
N is for Neighbours < Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookABOUT NEIGHBOURS Neighbours are the folk we live near to. Neighbours can live in the house next door or they can have the pitch beside you on a camp or on a site. Neighbours are important to...
O is for Ockto
O is for Ockto < Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSSay the word ockto out loud. Does it sound like the word eight in any way? Can you count ockto using your famels? Can you trace ockto using your finger in the air? Can you find ockto...
P is for Plunkies
P is for Plunkies< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSCan you guess what plunkies are from the picture?Do you have a favourite plunkie? What happens if we eat too many plunkies? Are you good at sharing your plunkies? Why is it good to...
Q is for Queen Esther Faa Blythe
Q is for Queen Esther Faa Blythe < Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSHave you ever heard of Queen Esther Faa Blythe? Do you know of any other famous Queens in Scotland? If you could rule for a day what would you do, change or improve?...
R is for Rag and Bone
R is for Rag and Bone< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSWhat do people do nowadays with things that they no longer need or want? Have you ever changed something to make it look better or give it a better use? Has anyone in your family...
S is for strods
S is for strods < Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSDo you know any other words for shoes? Can you have a look at all the different types of strods that people in your house own. Do they have different purposes? What are they used for?...
T is for Tramplers
T is for Tramplers < Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSWhy do you need your tramplers?What can your tramplers help you to do? ACTIVITIESDraw a picture of your own tramplers. You could take a pencil and draw round them then...
U is for Uzin Rock
U is for Uzin Rock < Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSWhat do you know about the elder tree? Ask an older person in your family about elder trees and find out if you knew that they were useful for making things. ACTIVITIESBecome an...
V is for Vardo
V is for Vardo< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSJo, the artist, has created three vardos and they each have different doors. Which vardo would you like to stay in? Can you find out more about vardos? Ask an older family member what...
W is for Weaving baskets
W is for Weaving baskets< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSAre there any woven baskets in your home? What are they used for? Look at all of the baskets that have been painted by the illustrator Jo Waterhouse. Think about the shapes and...
X is for X Marks the Spot
X is for X Marks the Spot< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSWhere is your favourite place to travel to? Do you go camping or travelling? How do you choose where to go? Ask an older relative where they liked to travel to when they were...
Y is for yaffin
Y is for Yaffin< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSCome back in September and see this new pageACTIVITIESCome back in September and see this new pageABOUT ADAM’S YaffinCome back in September and see this new page
Z is for Zzzzz
Z is for Zzzzz< Back to The travellers ABCThe Traveller Alphabet BookQUESTIONSBedtime routines are different for everyone. For some, it means locking all doors and windows and ensuring anything electrical is switched off. For others, such as Travellers, it could...
–COUNTING WITH PICTURES–
What can you find out about Traveller culture while learning to count? Share your ideas and stories with friends and family. Illustrations by Jo Waterhouse.
One Fire
1< Back to counting with picturesHow many fires?Looking and seeingWhat can you see? Can you take your eyes for a walk around the picture. Start at one edge and move to the other. Think about all the people, things, shapes, patterns and colours you see. Now close...
Two Famels
2< Back to counting with picturesHow many famels?Looking and seeingWhat can you see? What do you think is happening in the picture? Famels is another word for hands. What is the girl doing with her famels? CHATTING AND WONDERINGLots of people use their famels to...
Three Tents
3< Back to counting with picturesHow many tents? Looking and seeingWhat can you see? Take your eyes for a walk around the picture. Look for clues to tell you what time of day it is? What is the lady doing?CHATTING AND WONDERINGSometimes you can’t see everything and...
Four Hoofs
4< Back to counting with picturesHow many hooves? Looking and seeingWhat can you see? Can you describe the colours and the surfaces in all the different parts of the picture.CHATTING AND WONDERINGWhat is the weather like in the picture? How can you tell? What is...
Five Brambles
5< Back to counting with picturesHow many berries? Looking and seeingWhat can you see in this picture? What kind of berries can you see? How many different colours of green leaves can you see? CHATTING AND WONDERINGWhere do you find berries? What is the girl...
Six Pleats
6< Back to counting with picturesHow many pleats? Looking and seeingWhat is happening in the picture? Can you describe the girl’s face? What do you think she is thinking?CHATTING AND WONDERINGDo you remember any special occasions when you have had your hair done or...
Seven Clothes
7< Back to counting with picturesHow many items of clothes?Looking and seeingWhat can you see in the picture? Can you describe the sky? Do you think this is a good day for hanging out washing?CHATTING AND WONDERINGAll the clothes on the line are the same colour...
Eight Notes
8< Back to counting with picturesHow many musical notes? Looking and seeingWho is in the picture? What age do you think they are? What is happening?CHATTING AND WONDERINGIs there a song that everyone in your family likes to sing? Do you have favourite songs that...
Nine Flowers
9< Back to counting with picturesHow many flowers? Looking and seeingWhat can you see in the picture? What are the things lying on the red patterned rug?CHATTING AND WONDERINGWhy do you think the girl and the older woman are making the flowers? Do you think...
Ten Homes
10< Back to counting with picturesHow many chalets and homes? Looking and seeingWhat can you see in the picture?CHATTING AND WONDERINGThe black van looks as though it is coming back home. Who do you think is in it? Where might it have been?CREATING AND MAKINGThe...
Find more learning activities on our learning resources webpages.
LOCAL AUTHORITY CONTACTS
If you would like help or advice about education for members of your family you can contact someone in most areas of Scotland and they will be able to provide help.
This is the Local Authority Contact for:
