Professor Julian (Joe) Elliott - 'The Dyslexia Debate'

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Dick Schutz

Re: Professor Julian (Joe) Elliott - 'The Dyslexia Debate'

Post by Dick Schutz »

This is another instance where application of the UK [Alphabetic Code] Phonics Screening Check would do much to clarify the confusion. While the test has been used in Yr 1 and Yr 2 schooling in England, it's a valid screen of decoding/reading capability at any age in any place. The cumulative results to date in England provide compelling evidence that "it's in the instruction" rather than in biosocial characteristics, but as yet only superficial analysis of the instruction has been performed.

The correlations in dispute in the Twitter conversation will vary, depending upon the edupediological [new word!] sample.
That is, r's will vary depending upon the degree to which the instruction is random/faulty or under control/effective. In sample units where "all" have been taught how to handle the English Alphabetic Code, the r's will be "near zero" because the instruction has overcome all the biosocial diversity. However, individuals will still differ in terms of their biosocial characteristics and in terms of learnability/withitness.

More analysis of available data is needed along with more widespread administration of the Check.
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: Professor Julian (Joe) Elliott - 'The Dyslexia Debate'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Dick - you said:
More analysis of available data is needed along with more widespread administration of the Check.
You're right.

As you know, IFERI is encouraging people to use the freely available Year One Phonics Screening Check that is used in England.

We could do with Nick Gibb writing to politicians with responsibility for Education and inviting them to use the check - starting with the rest of the UK.

See here for IFERI's suggestions regarding global use of the Year One phonics check:

http://www.iferi.org/resources-and-guidance/
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: Professor Julian (Joe) Elliott - 'The Dyslexia Debate'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Peter Hitchens refers to the work of Joe Elliot:

http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/ ... chive.html
'Dyslexia' - a pernicious myth exploded,

The following articles. published in the Mail on Sunday on 2nd March and 3rd June 2007, are for some reason not easily found in the archives of this blog. As I'm currently running into various people who still think this imaginary complaint exists, I thought I would revive them and post them here.



Dyslexia is not a disease. It is an excuse for bad teachers
By: Peter Hitchens

I DOUBT there has ever been a society so easily fooled by pseudo-science and quackery as ours is. Millions of healthy people take happy pills that do them obvious harm, and are increasingly correlated with inexplicable suicide and worse.
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