A report on the failure of Reading Recovery to help the most disadvantaged children in New Zealand has just been published by Massey University Professors James Chapman and Bill Turner. If it is failing children in New Zealand why are teachers still using it here? http://nzinitiative.org.nz/Media/Insights/x_post/reading-into-reading-recovery-00231.html#.UgRLSzY1fo8.twitte Thanks to Susan Godsland from www.dyslexics.org.uk for flagging this up.
Read MoreLearning to Read
Great article about the huge problem of teenage and adult literacy
Read this informative article on www.dyslexics.org.uk website about the state of teen age and adult literacy in the UK. A must for anyone concerned with secondary or adult education. http://www.dyslexics.org.uk/teenage_dyslexics.htm
Read MoreWhat they tell you on Teacher Training
Below is an excerpt from a post on Scenes from the Battleground – an excellent blog. Thank you. When I finished my teacher training, I knew nothing about teaching children to read. I don’t think I was the only one. This excerpt below sounded rather familiar: Lies, Damned Lies and Things You are Told During […]
Read MoreGreat review of Magic Belt Series
Alison Clarke of Spelfabet has reviewed the Magic Belt series. We are delighted! An experienced speech pathologist, Alison tried the books out with her struggling and reluctant readers. This review presents the special features in the series in a clear way: http://www.spelfabet.com.au/2013/07/magic-belt-books/
Read More100% success in the Y1 Phonics Check – what are the secret ingredients?
Recent results of the Year 1 Phonics Check show that schools in deprived communities can do as well as, if not better than, schools in leafy suburbs. Take St George’s, a school in Wandsworth, which reported 100% success in the Y1 Phonics Check this year. This school is situated in a challenging catchment area. What […]
Read MoreFirst results of Y1 Phonics Check. Great results for Sounds-Write!
The Literacy Blog has posted the first results of the Y1 Phonics check. Great results for Sounds-Write! Our books follow the Sounds-Write phonic progression and are used by St George’s – a school in a deprived area in the borough of Wandsworth in London. Despite the deprivation of the catchment area, the school has excelled in the phonics check for […]
Read MoreWhy is the three-cueing (searchlight) reading system still being practiced?
Thanks to Susan Godsland of www.dyslexics.org.uk for flagging up this comprehensive article by Kerry Hempenstall Ph.D on how the three-cueing (searchlight) reading system has become so a prevalent in schools and teacher training to this day, despite the fact that it is not evidence based. In fact, it is ideologically based and can do irreparable damage to children who have not been […]
Read MoreAlba Series reviewed
Alba Series from Phonic Books Reviewed by SNIP (Special Needs Information Press) July 2013 Stories by Clair Baker, illustrated by Drew Wilson Summary of the review: Alba Series is a new series of books specifically designed for girls who have gaps in their phonic knowledge. These books have a reading age appropriate for KS1 […]
Read MoreWhy English Spelling sucks… 10 point explanation for kids
Thanks to Geraldine Carter for flagging up this really useful explanation – another great blogpost from Spelfabet. http://www.spelfabet.com.au/2013/07/spelling-for-kids/
Read MoreThe secret of Finnish education: reading at the core of society and a simple phonic code
The Finnish education is one of the most successful educational systems in the world. It is very different from the system in the UK. What are its secrets? Two important factors are: reading is at the core of society and it has a simple, transparent phonic code. To read more click on this article from the […]
Read More