tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9462344.post7594323085922980526..comments2023-06-28T17:05:30.899+01:00Comments on The Literacy Blog: The Philistines are upon us!Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13315146014179526480noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9462344.post-19807331821696401052014-02-12T11:02:34.199+00:002014-02-12T11:02:34.199+00:00Hi Maizie and thanks for the comment.
Sadly, this ...Hi Maizie and thanks for the comment.<br />Sadly, this kind of thing is all too common. I feel sorry for the students on the course. This kind of shortchanging is what we've come to expect from so many of these primary and secondary teacher training courses.<br />The good news is that I've agreed to run a Sounds-Write course for a school in Bedford that has been awarded teacher training on the job status. Our first cohort of twenty-four trainees will be starting in September.<br />Best regards,<br />John<br />PS See you in Durham for dinner in March?Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13315146014179526480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9462344.post-51286968307388992622014-02-12T10:38:05.230+00:002014-02-12T10:38:05.230+00:00The calibre of some academics' understanding o...The calibre of some academics' understanding of phonics teaching is exemplifed in this post from a PGCE student:<br /> <br />"Sadly it's me vs the rest of the course (inc the lecturer) wrt exclusive phonics!<br /><br />There's a lot of focus on the "Synthetic phonics and the teaching of reading: the debate surrounding England’s ‘Rose Report’" paper and .....plenty of anecdotal evidence.<br /><br />><br />><br />><br /><br />During our lectures we were told that exclusive phonics isn't ideal because:<br />a) there are a large number or irregular words in the English language<br /><br />b) high frequency words (the top 100) are recommended to be learnt to be recognised<br /><br />c) the evidence is that children from “word rich” environments will do better academically"Maizienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9462344.post-40176771647100419162014-02-11T20:17:48.762+00:002014-02-11T20:17:48.762+00:00Hi Debbie and thank you for your comment.
After re...Hi Debbie and thank you for your comment.<br />After reading what you said about being fearless, I feel that the David and Goliath analogy isn't too misplaced.<br />The truth is that there are so few people in education who have the slightest idea of what we're about and, as you say, they don't seem to be even mildly interested. I suppose that because it's to do with the fact that they think phonics starts and ends with 'cat'. The thing is that, if it did, it would all end in cat-astrophe - as it does for so many children and adults.<br />The real trouble with universities like Cambridge is that they're smug, self-satisfied and believe they have all the answers, when there's so much outside of those ivory towers about which they know nothing. And it that which is their achilles heel.<br />As I've commented before, it's up to us to build our success and our evidence brick by brick.<br />Put not thy trust in leaders!Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13315146014179526480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9462344.post-21139339863949867752014-02-11T14:04:25.869+00:002014-02-11T14:04:25.869+00:00Well done, John! We need to broadcast your offer -...Well done, John! We need to broadcast your offer - and the Cambridge response to it.<br /><br />I would be fearless to do exactly the same using the programmes and training that I am associated with.<br /><br />In fact, I frequently and commonly say how any of the leading SP and LP programme authors would be fearless in having their programmes and practices tested and compared. We are that confident having based the resources and practice on leading-edge research, experience and knowing of our own results.<br /><br />All credit to you and your long-established and well-collated spelling results following use of Sounds-Write! It is extraordinary that 'the establishment' is not more interested - and curious!<br /><br />The trouble is with the Cambridge folk focusing only on their school and practices, there is no truly helpful comparison.<br /><br />Isn't this what the Reading Recovery establishment has done all these years?<br /><br />When will any of the universities take a proper interest in researching the leading SP and LP programmes and practices considering the advent of their level of official scrutiny and governmental support through the phonics match-funding initiative?<br /><br />DebbieAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10554325440037429086noreply@blogger.com