This might be of interest to primary teachers - from one teacher to others: https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/why-whole-class-reading-beats-a-carousel-and-seven-ways-ensure-it 'Why whole-class reading beats a carousel – and seven ways to ensure it is successful' DM Crosby This prim...

Here is a piece in the Financial Review : http://www.afr.com/news/policy/education/the-next-step-in-simon-birminghams-backtobasics-push-literacy-and-numeracy-check-for-sixyearolds-20170129-gu0xw2 The next step in Simon Birmingham's back-to-basics push: literacy and numeracy check for six-year-olds F...

Greg Ashman writes about Simon Birmingham's announcement via his Filling the Pail blog: https://gregashman.wordpress.com/2017/01/29/new-year-1-literacy-and-numeracy-tests-for-australia/ New Year 1 literacy and numeracy tests for Australia No doubt we will see a flurry of apoplectic articles in the n...

Huge news of a development in this story:

http://www.iferi.org/iferi_forum/viewto ... 1323#p1323

I've added the news to this thread:

http://www.iferi.org/iferi_forum/viewto ... 1322#p1322

This is a truly fantastic development - the announcement by Minister Simon Birmingham of an expert panel to inform the Education Council mid-2017 regarding a phonics check and maths assessment. I've started a new thread to announce this news and cross-referenced it: http://www.iferi.org/iferi_forum/...

This is fantastic news for Australia - announced 29th January 2017: http://www.senatorbirmingham.com.au/Latest-News/ID/3350/Literacy-and-numeracy-check-for-all-Aussie-schools-under-the-Turnbull-Governments-quality-reforms Literacy and numeracy check for all Aussie schools under the Turnbull Governme...

This is a scenario we should all recognise and understand - but until the whole teaching profession is trained and knowledgeable about reading instruction, the state of affairs in this excellent post will, very sadly, continue. Further, as you will see from a comment I have added, teachers are fed c...

Here is a piece in the Herald Sun, Australia, with reference to Simon Birmingham's promotion of phonics and the proposed phonics check:


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victor ... 590d77d52f

Do read this most wonderful, and extremely important, piece in The Guardian : https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jan/27/experience-i-talk-with-my-eyes?CMP=share_btn_tw Experience: I talk with my eyes My cerebral palsy meant I was stuck in a perpetual reception class at school – but a spel...