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 difference for their pupils. A […]
Making the Difference for Pupils with Dyslexia Read More »
After some grim national writing results last year, and lots of conversations with school leaders about their post-Covid teaching and learning priorities, writing is high on many schools’ priority list. Common issues that have been raised to me by school colleagues are wide ranging, from issues with spelling, to extended writing, problematic writing assessments, and
The Struggle with ‘Writing Stamina’ Read More »
“To write is human, to edit is divine.” Stephen King, ‘On Writing’ ‘I’ve finished’ is a common refrain you hear in the classroom soon after pupils are set a writing task. Pupils’ urge to write can see them rush to pour their ideas onto the page. Alas, for too many pupils, their energised efforts can
The Challenge of Editing Writing Read More »
Do our pupils need support for bolster their writing development? In my last blog, I posed the question about whether there was a hidden problem with the damage wrought by the pandemic on pupils who have joined secondary school. The evidence of a dip in national date at both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage
Prioritising Writing Progress Read More »
Are pupils new to secondary school this year prepared for the challenges of academic writing? After a couple of terms of secondary school, it becomes clearer whether pupils are getting to grips with the academic demands. As they write narratives in English, essays in history, notes in science, or annotate in art, pupils are expected
Is there a hidden writing problem in secondary schools? Read More »
Debates about spelling never really go away. No matter what technological advancement is ushered in, it appears that spelling development still matters and we should sustain the teaching of spelling. For young writers in particular, spelling is linked to writing, reading and vocabulary development. But teachers need support to understand the challenge and teach spelling
5 Free Research Reads On… Teaching Spelling Read More »
If you can write well, you can succeed in school. But the impact of being unable to write with confidence can be crippling, in the classroom, as well as far beyond the school gates. The recent White Paper on ‘levelling up’ education by the government, predictably attempts to address writing and the age-old ‘3Rs’. By
Is teaching writing the ‘Neglected R’? Read More »
