I read this post and thought it was really worth reposting. It explains in simple and sympathetic language why decodable books have an important role to play in learning to read. New Zealand has been slow in adopting Systematic Synthetic Phonics, but things are changing for the better. This is a really worth a read! […]
Read MoreLearning to Read
How decodable texts contribute to reading fluency and comprehension
Reading fluency is a precondition for reading comprehension. If the reader is not fluent he/she will struggle to put the words together in a sentence and make meaning of it. When short term memory is taken up by working out what the words are on the page, it can’t focus on what they mean. So […]
Read MoreWhole-word reading vs decoding – why does it matter?
Many schools are moving away from teaching children to recognise whole words to teaching them how to decode. It is important for anyone reading with children, or teaching them to read, to understand why this is so significant. The approach of teaching kids to recognise whole words is a ‘top down’ approach. It requires children […]
Read MoreWhy and how to Boost Tier 2 words
Many of our students will need a boost to their vocabulary. This may be because they have missed out on learning, or that remote learning is not as effective as in-school learning (especially for children with a learning disability). As we know, language development is a crucial element in reading comprehension (check out ‘The Simple […]
Read More‘Merry Christmas!’ and ‘incidental phonics’
It is that time of year and, although in this COVID year everything seems subdued, we have Christmas messages, wishes and advertising everywhere. Children will be busy writing lists for Santa and decorating Christmas cards. You just can’t escape the words ‘Merry Christmas’! This is a good opportunity for some ‘incidental phonics’ teaching. So, what […]
Read MoreInvention of the Alphabet – the internet of the second millennium BCE
I have been listening to the History of English Podcast (recommended!) and I have had a serious light bulb moment! I have just realised that the invention of the alphabet, which took place around 2000 BCE, had a huge impact on the history and culture of humankind. It was like the explosion of communication we […]
Read MoreWhy do older, struggling readers need age-appropriate books?
Older, struggling readers often have gaps in the their phonics knowledge and skills. They find alternative spellings particularly confusing. Many suffer from low self esteem so offering them decodable materials that are age-appropriate is vital. Vital because if the reading materiasl can engage the disaffected reader, his/her motivation to try and read will grow. Without […]
Read MoreThe reversible code
There is nothing as rewarding as seeing the grin on a young reader’s face when they have just written a word that they can read and what’s more – you can read! The discovery that the squiggles on the white board can always be read by anyone at anytime is a huge “Ah ha!” moment […]
Read MoreParent shines a light on the science of reading
It is so sad to hear when a young child says he wants to kill himself because he can’t read as described in the interview at the end of this piece. It is uplifting to hear how a parent turned this child’s life around by getting him assessed and starting him on a structured literacy […]
Read MorePhonics vs morphology: why we need both!
Some time ago, I attended a course on morphology as part of my professional development. It was presented by a dyslexia organisation. At the time, I was using an excellent phonics programme (Sounds-Write) and felt I needed to develop my understanding of morphology and its role in teaching kids to read. The presenter was very […]
Read More