“In real science, one is eventually influenced by the evidence.” Keith Stanovich (2000) Once upon a time, it was widely believed that the Earth was flat. Many ancient cultures portrayed the world as being a flat surface and this belief survived until Pythagoras and the like started proving otherwise in the 6thcentury BC. Through the […]
The Flat Earth and Teaching Reading Read More »
Why an over-focus on “blends” could be slowing reading and spelling progress. Working 1:1 with primary school children allows me to monitor teaching trends in my local area. This micro-sample is often an indicator of general tendencies in teaching on a larger scale and I try to confirm, as much as possible, the extent of
One of the best aspects of my job is when I get to observe other practitioners in action. I’ve been very lucky to have such generous colleagues. This is the story of the first time I saw someone using Reading Recovery. Yes, it’s a story, an anecdote, and therefore not data, please bear that in
Reading Recovery: first impressions of bad teaching Read More »
I love music. I always have. I especially like punk and Indiepop from the 80s. My obsession with The Smiths and Morrissey led me into worlds of art and literature I would otherwise never have entered. Punk taught me about politics and animal and human rights. I can honestly say I’ve benefited from my love
There’s more to life than books, you know Read More »
My late 16 year old daughter didn’t want designer clothes or brand-name devices. She ate everything on her plate; always had. She never begged me for new pets, holidays or toys and she never had a boyfriend or went to parties or tried tobacco, drugs or alcohol. The downside is that she also couldn’t explain
My non-verbal child: it doesn’t get any better than this Read More »
Several people have sent me links to the new Weird Al Yankovic song “Word Crimes”, thinking I’d enjoy it, being in the business I’m in. You can watch it here. Nothing could be further from the truth. I cringed all the way through it and though I consider myself easy-going and open-minded, I was genuinely
How Weird Al Yankovic got it horribly wrong Read More »
Aside from providing a framework for study of the sounds and patterns of single vowels in spelling, this topic also has an extensive theory section outlining common misconceptions about vowels in everyday teaching. It presents an alternative metalanguage that assists even struggling spellers to master linguistic concepts more easily. Resources: Single Vowels worksheet and spelling