Since sentence diagramming is one of the major activities in the Language for Life book and course, I thought I’d respond to a point raised in The Writing Revolution (P14-15) about the authors’ reservations on this subject. Firstly, I don’t think I disagree with the authors when they talk about the superiority of sentence combining …
Do Language for Life and The Writing Revolution disagree? Read More »
Coming up to the third anniversary of the death of my firstborn, I can’t say she’s not on my mind. The anniversary effect started a lot earlier this year, with reminders just about everywhere, turning my thoughts to her, and especially to her last weeks: a kid in a wheelchair, a hospital scene on a …
I often get asked to recommend ‘independent reading activities’ or ‘independent spelling activities’ for children learning to read and spell, and I’m always reminded of this article: A revolutionary driving school in Finland has smashed the traditional concept of learning to drive and is taking the world by storm. The state-funded School of Whole Driving, …
Independent Driving Activities for Learner Drivers Read More »
And now we cross live, for the launch of the Correct Reading Alliance People. Interviewer: I’d like to welcome Professor Donna Kruger to the launch of a visionary new initiative, called the Correct Reading Alliance People. Welcome, Professor Kruger. Professor Kruger: Thank you John, delighted to be here. I: So what exactly is the Correct …
The Correct Reading Alliance People: A New Bottle (spoiler: same old wine) Read More »
I have had the great honour, over the last year or so, to have been a regular guest on the ABC Radio Adelaide Jules Schiller Drive show. Jules is a keen wordsmith and a bit of a larrikin, hence the title of his linguistics segment: Polish a Word. This week, Jules wanted to talk about Arabic …
Polish a Word: Unexpected Words that Come from Arabic Read More »
We are judged on our linguistic output whether we like it or not. People are instinctively primed to make snap decisions about others based on a range of subtle signals. Language is a huge factor. This is one of the reasons that language-based disorders in children can have such long-term, corrosive effects. In my practice, …
The start of every year brings a new influx of students. They all have certain things in common: They have not progressed in reading and/or writing enough to keep up with their peers. They are in need of support. They are in need of assessment. They have, at some point, been told that they have …
What is the one question we never ask our new students? Read More »
Last week I sought information from teachers about being mandated to use Running Records for assessment and reporting. This followed an article I wrote about why these assessments were not fit for purpose. When I say Running Records, I do mean formal Benchmark Assessment System tests and less formal stand-alone Running Records. I wanted to …
Taking steps to improve the quality of instruction so that all children progress appropriately towards literacy is not a job for the faint-hearted. Yet my 2019 was filled with stories of courageous schools and teachers making huge strides. The ambition to make my tutoring practice (and others like it) a necessity only for those with …
Rethinking Running Records: Ammunition and armour in the battle for better literacy Read More »
This just in from a slightly panicked vendor of teaching resources: Hi everyone! I’ve been asked to coin a derogatory term for my detractors to help shift attention off the weaknesses in my resources and put it back where it should be: on the Reading Wars. To that end, I’m going to go with phonics-centric. …
“Hey Smartass!” No one gets to mess with my market share! Read More »