Andrew Old: 'Don't let phonics denialists move the goal posts after PIRLS 2016'

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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Andrew Old: 'Don't let phonics denialists move the goal posts after PIRLS 2016'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Andrew Old nails it yet again - thank goodness for his persistence and his logic - and his use of facts, statistics and quotes to support his commentary:

https://teachingbattleground.wordpress. ... irls-2016/
Don’t let phonics denialists move the goal posts after PIRLS 2016

December 9, 2017

A big difference between scepticism and denialism is that sceptics can identify what evidence would persuade them and then change their position when they have it. Denialists will move the goalposts, acting as if the evidence has no consequences for their arguments. When dealing with denialists you have to constantly remind them of their own arguments otherwise they will simply move on.

The recent PIRLS results, that assessed reading in “4th grade” in 61 countries, and allowed for comparisons between countries and with previous scores was a perfect example of this. This was the first PIRLS cohort to have been through the phonics check. They indicated who was right and who was wrong in their predictions about the effects of the phonics check. The results showed that since the previous round of PIRLS, reading scores in England had improved (to their highest ever) with spectacular gains for the weakest readers.
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: Andrew Old: 'Don't let phonics denialists move the goal posts after PIRLS 2016'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Cross - referenced with Andrew Old's previous postings about phonics denialists:

http://www.iferi.org/iferi_forum/viewto ... 1768#p1768
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: Andrew Old: 'Don't let phonics denialists move the goal posts after PIRLS 2016'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

I hope that Andrew Old will address this piece point for point:

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/nick-gibb-is- ... c-phonics/
Nick Gibb is wrong: PIRLS data does not support synthetic phonics

by Kevin Courtney
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