learning
I think about a month has passed, since I attended the weekend marketing course, for small businesses. I have been inspired and motivated, to get BORN2READ into as many homes, schools and childcare centres as I can, and things are starting to happen. My focus shifted from getting to know every, single thing about marketing, […]
Sight words do get a bad rap, in a world where phonics rule. Indeed one of the arguments against the method was heightened by my then five year old son, who rather defiantly told me that there was no point in him reading/learning the list of sight words. They were dumb – just a list […]
Not so long ago, I went to a weekend seminar to learn about marketing for small businesses. It was an amazing event – the presenters were encouraging, the audience was engaged and supportive, and the food was great too! During the course of the weekend, we were given lots and lots of information, which at […]
“Unsatisfactory,” says the teacher. “Your child’s reading ability is unsatisfactory. Your child’s writing is unsatisfactory.” I really, really, really, dislike this descriptor. I know that it is necessary for teachers (and I am one too), to be transparent in their reporting of children’s progress and abilities, but could we please not use the term ‘unsatisfactory’? […]
You know the rules! We all know the rules, right? You know the ones that are repeated, time and time again. “If your child does not know the word – sound it out!” “Learn these sight words.” Well let me tell you a story about a little girl named Sophie. Sophie was in Year One […]
‘I want to be a teacher – the holidays are great!’, said no real teacher ever!! I don’t know why, but even after twenty-five plus years as a professional teacher, it still really, really bugs me, when someone unwittingly says, “Gee, on holidays again. I should have been a teacher – you wouldn’t last in […]
So they are in a uniform, but do they have to conform? You have got to love little kids!! They just don’t care – they say what they want, do what they want, and rarely show much remorse. They show the full range of emotions, often within a space of ten minutes, and they sleep […]
My relationship with phonics, or the teaching of phonics (or is that phonetics??), is akin to one of those relationships. You know the one, where it is either in a state of pure blissfulness, or one of total despair. In this relationship, there never seems to be a happy medium, and every time I swear […]
Just the other day, I was reflecting on my earlier teaching days. As they are now over twenty years ago, some of the memories are dimming, whilst others, I’m sure, will continue to shine out like beacons, even in another twenty years’ time. On such memory was created in a small country town, in a […]
I love my job!! Working with young children is so rewarding and it is also very, very grounding!! For years, I have been sharing stories about imagined characters with the Kindy Kids. They loved the stories, and through their questions and comments, have helped shape their characters. Over Christmas, I decided to record these stories […]