Many of my students at the Bloomfield Learning Centre have difficulty remembering the complex alternative spellings of sounds in English. The problem is they don’t hold on to what they have learned. The teacher may teach <ai> and the next […]
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Independent review of That Dog! series

We have just received this independent review from Teach Primary Magazine. The review is available online. See link below. Phonic Books – That Dog! for catch-up readers across the school. At a glance: • Age appropriate, synthetic phonic catch-up […]
Read MoreAre learning styles now finally out of style?
Many SEN teachers believe and promote the idea of learning styles. It feels right. It feels personal to every individual student – but it is supported by science? https://ssec.si.edu/sending-learning-styles-out-style#.WHdcuDaVr6E.twitter
Read MoreHow can we help the weakest catch up?
“So let me get this straight: we’re behind the rest of our class and we’re going to catch up to them by going slower than they are?”- Bart Simpson Our instinct is often to assume that a kid … […]
Read MoreHow can I get my children’s literacy problems taken more seriously
A common and difficult issue is that schools are ill-equipped to identify and remediate literacy problems. Thank you Spelfabet for this analysis of the problem. How can I get my child’s literacy problem taken more seriously at school?
Read MoreShould we dispense with the D word? – a way forward
This clear article, by Kevin Wheldall, Anne Castles and Mandy Nayton, explains the controversy created by the Joe Elliott and Elena Grigorenko in their recent book ‘The Dyslexia Debate’ and suggests a sensible way forward. http://www.kevinwheldall.com/2014/03/should-we-dispense-with-d-word.html?spref=tw
Read MoreOvercoming dyslexia – Mandy Nayton of DSF explains
If you have a child or pupil struggling with reading read this: http://health.thewest.com.au/news/1288/overcoming-dyslexia#.UwSao9UDT80.twitter
Read MoreTeachers failing pupils – it is still happening
Thanks to Susan Godsland of www.dyslexics.org.uk who flagged up this video clip from the Spelfabet website. Does is sound familiar? It makes me sad to think of the pupils I failed before I was trained in Sounds-Write. This is still happening… http://www.spelfabet.com.au/2013/11/teacher-knowledge-of-phonics/
Read MoreAlba Series reviewed in the DSF Bulletin
The Dyslexia – SPELD Foundation’s publication ‘The bulletin’, Autumn 2013, has just published an article reviewing the ‘Alba’ reading series. I have scanned it – but the print is a bit small so here is the summary: “As with the very popular existing […]
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