Embark on a journey through the vast landscape of reading with my range of blogs. From enhancing reading fluency to deepening comprehension skills, and navigating challenges like dyslexia, my blogs offer invaluable insights and practical strategies. Delve into the latest research, discover effective teaching methods, and empower readers of all ages to unlock the full potential of literacy.
Teaching a struggling reader, whether they are seven or seventeen, can be a gut-wrenching experience. It can make the typical tasks of a school day difficult and sap the enjoyment out of learning. It is no surprise then that every teacher, and parent, wants to get to the root of
In Brazil in 2012, the government offered prisoners the chance to read for their lives. Their novel approach saw prisoners granted four days of remission for each book they read and reviewed. Prisoners had the opportunity to submit up to 12 reviews per year, which equates to a maximum of
Should we ditch the Kindle and pick up a paperback? Or put away the plain ol’ textbook and dive into digital learning instead? In our brave new world of ever-present technology, we are left with questions about what is best: tried and tested traditional methods or innovative new technologies. New
Tutor time reading has experienced a wave of popularity in English secondary schools over the last few years. As schools responded to plummeting reading habits, along with a focus on reading in inspection and across curriculum, it became a popular fix for promoting and practising more reading during the school
The canon of English literature - and what is taught in English classrooms - is always the stuff of fierce debate and news headlines. A new TES article claims schools 'need support to break away from An Inspector Calls'. So, we should ask the question, should it be
Dyslexia is one of most common special needs that impacts learners in schools. It is an issue, and a label, that is well known, but probably less well understood. So, why are we misreading dyslexia and what can we do about it? This crucial issue with reading words on the
Have you ever seen a ‘streaky tenrec’? Probably not. For pupils sitting the key stage 2 SATs reading assessment, they likely met the tenrec and the wildlife of Madagascar for the first time. The first text for children to read in their SATs reading assessment was an informational text, entitled
Dyslexia is an issue that can evoke a mix of fear and some confusion for teachers. Every teacher can recognise the crippling damage wrought by struggling to read, but, as a label, dyslexia is too often a mystery. As a result, teachers may miss the opportunity to make a positive
The performance of reading aloud can offer vital opportunities for pupils to learn. In particular, the act of reading aloud can benefit pupils’ reading fluency, as well as proving a helpful bridge to increasing reading comprehension. Reader’s Theatre is a comprehensive classroom approach that can offer a vehicle to
There are few simple solutions in education. If you are being promised one, it is at best a hopeful fib, at worst a deceptive sales-pitch. But there are some helpful principles that can guide our actions. A useful one I think could help improve literacy in primary and secondary schools:
‘Ro-man soc…i-e-ty… The army tried to con…q…u…er new lands for their v…ast Em-p-i…re.’ It is all-too common to hear arduous attempts at reading aloud in classrooms. Particularly with younger pupils, well-meaning enthusiasm, stretching their hands into the sky, is often followed by dysfluent reading.
Take a read of this passage, entitled ‘An Encounter at Sea’, from the 2017 reading comprehension SATs paper. Can you predict what happens next? What did you predict? Did you assume the ‘encounter’ was a dolphin (noting their mention in paragraph 2), perhaps a shark attack (for the ‘Jaws’ aficionados)