HeatherBellaF's blog: Esse Quam Videri

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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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HeatherBellaF's blog: Esse Quam Videri

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

HeatherBellaF raises some important issues in her blog https://heatherfblog.wordpress.com/ :

https://heatherfblog.wordpress.com/2015 ... omment-870
Reading failure. What reading failure?

“Yes, A level history is all about READING!”

I say it brightly as I dole out extracts from a towering pile of photocopying taken from different texts that will help the class get going with their coursework. I try and ooze reassurance. I cheerily talk about the sense of achievement my students will feel when they have worked their way through these carefully selected texts, chosen to transfer the maximum knowledge in the minimum reading time. I explain this sort of reading is what university study will be all about, while dropping in comforting anecdotes to illustrate it is much more manageable than they think. I make this effort because I NEED them to read lots. The quality of their historical thinking and thus their coursework is utterly dependent upon it.
One point I make constantly is the mistaken notion that 'phonics' is merely about 'infant stuff' when this is far from the case - it is lifelong reading and spelling stuff - 'adult stuff' and I suggest the whole teaching profession and teacher-training profession should be trained and knowledgeable about the English alphabetic code and the skills of decoding and encoding - and what part they play for lifelong literacy and, quite frankly, life chances.
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: HeatherBellaF's blog: Esse Quam Videri

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

All of Heather F's early years' posts are well worth reading for anyone with an interest in the early years and the great debate about the ethos behind learning for birth to five year olds - this is really an important topic:

https://heatherfblog.wordpress.com/cate ... rs/page/3/

So, don't just read the latest post on early years provision, do read on - Heather encapsulates the issues, certainly in England and probably in other English-speaking countries, very astutely.
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: HeatherBellaF's blog: Esse Quam Videri

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Heather captures the main issues of the very important topic of 'developmentalism vs mastery' very succinctly via a piece for 'Schoolsweek' here:

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/developmentali ... ent-104346
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: HeatherBellaF's blog: Esse Quam Videri

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Heather F on reading again 'Why can't our students read fluently':

https://heatherfblog.wordpress.com/2016 ... -fluently/
...There are, in fact, many factors that make it more likely that children will read well, the area is very well researched, but perhaps the most crucial factor tends to be overlooked – bulk practice. Surely, you may say, we all know children need to read lots. Schools bend over backwards to encourage children to read lots. I’m not so sure we really DO appreciate the importance of bulk practice for reading fluency OR that we do the right things to ensure that this practice happens...
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