Literacy Leadership
Does phonics help or hinder comprehension?
A recent TES article headlined “Call for researchers to highlight negative ‘side effects’ of methods like phonics” drew…
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Looking Past the Masks
It’s easy to mistake symptoms for causes. I have been thinking recently about how reading problems become more…
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Reading is Knowledge
We shouldn’t confuse skills with knowledge One of the most discussed topics in education today is that of…
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Literacy Leadership Part 3: Return on Investment
Smart leaders invest wisely. Investment in reading has long-term payoffs. Investment in turning around reading failure, especially at secondary…
Read articleTeaching Struggling Readers
Literacy Leadership Part 2: Building With Care
Transformation can be incremental For the second part of this three-part series, we talked to Lisa Cliffe, the Literacy…
Read articleTeaching Struggling Readers
Literacy Leadership Part 1: Vision and Mission
What does it take to see real change in literacy outcomes? When it comes to literacy, we all agree…
Read articleTeaching Struggling Readers
Seven Steps to Improving Reading Comprehension
We often test comprehension, but how do we teach it? In the so-called reading wars, all sides agree…
Read articleThe Science of Learning
No Excuses Left
So what if they can’t read? And whose fault is it anyway? A recent discussion on Twitter provided something…
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Building on the Evidence
How do you start to build an evidence base? We all know that it’s important to know the evidence…
Read articleThe Science of Learning
Blurred Vision
Can coloured lenses solve reading problems? One of the most common ‘interventions’ for reading difficulties that we encounter…
Read articleMyths and Misconceptions
Looking for Impact? Structure Matters
Why do school structures matter when it comes to reading interventions? Sometimes the obvious answers – or ‘the…
Read articleEffective Practice
Read For Your Life
Reading is essential to the stability of society. This last weekend we had the wonderful experience of being…
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What Works?
The latest edition of Prof Greg Brooks’ work provides important insights – and raises questions. We’ve been…
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There is hope
Reading problems hinder attainment – but with wise leadership choices, there is hope. There is often a stubborn…
Read articleTeaching Struggling Readers
Leveraging Literacy at Secondary School
School leaders are uniquely placed to impact literacy Sometimes it’s difficult, in the maelstrom of school life, to…
Read articleWhole School Literacy
Addicted to Denial?
When it comes to the reading problem there appear to be two forms of denialism: the claim that there…
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Post Script
Assumptions based on our own experience do not necessarily inform a debate. I have been interested in…
Read articleEffective Practice
Accountability? A Scandal for Schools
In what has been called the age of managerialism and accountability, schools seem to be measured for everything:…
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Improving outcomes for low attainers
Here are the slides and notes from my session from ResearchEd yesterday. I found the warmth and enthusiasm of…
Read articleMyths and Misconceptions
Peeling back the layers
Once you look even a little below the surface, the state of reading in our secondary schools appears…
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How To Build Motivation
Does the skill of motivating others come naturally, or can it be learned? What gets you out…
Read articleTeaching Struggling Readers
Spring Cleaning
In order to let in fresh air, sometimes it’s necessary to get rid of the clutter. My mother…
Read articleTeaching Struggling Readers
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