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 I have had many people interested in understanding how whole-class literacy teaching is implemented in a Year 1-3 class, where there is a wide range of learning stages (from pre-stage one to 'off decodable stages'). I have blogged a bit about this, and you can find older posts by scrolling through this page. This year, I started with great enthusiasm, having ended the previous year on a high note with my students and feeling very confident about teaching the whole class. I planned my sessions, intending to deliver each part in bite-sized amounts throughout the day. I thought I had designed pared-back sessions and eagerly jumped into it. Immediately, I realised that what I had planned was slightly out of reach—not so much in terms of achievement levels, but more concerning executive functioning. The children struggled to meet the expectations I was setting, even though we were only aiming for ten-minute sessions at a time, interwoven with valuable play blocks. How did I know th...

 Taking a moment to reflect on how far we have come in our journey with structured literacy is truly rewarding. As an individual, my exploration into this field began in 2018. It was then that I wrote my first blog post, sharing my initial insights into the fascinating world of the reading brain at the end of April that year. From that initial step, my passion for learning and implementing structured literacy practices has continually moved my teaching approach forward. In May 2018, I shared another blog post, expressing my excitement about decodable books and phonics. This was just the beginning. By 2019 and 2020, our entire school was engaging in structured literacy learning, leading to rapid growth. Our journey has been marked by an ongoing cycle of reflection, refinement, and adaptation. A crucial element of our progress has been our willingness to acknowledge and learn from our mistakes, which has empowered us to deepen our understanding. The self-driven nature of our learning...

  Whole Class Teaching - What Could Go Wrong? If you have followed any of my posts over the last few years, you will know I am an enthusiastic advocate of whole class teaching. I have employed this method in mathematics for a long time and transitioned to using it in literacy a couple of years ago. The Success of Whole Class Teaching I am deeply passionate about whole class teaching, and when I reflect on the progress of my class over the past couple of years, compared to when I was teaching in smaller groups, I am convinced of its efficacy. It is not just working well but is highly effective. Addressing Diverse Needs A primary concern often raised concerning whole class teaching is how to cater to the diverse needs within a classroom. How can educators effectively address the needs of every child? Does whole class teaching imply that everyone receives identical instruction? Potential Pitfalls of Whole Class Teaching This concern leads to the crux of this discussion: where could wh...

Well, it has been a little while since I actually sat down to write a blog post so I thought it was about time I got back into it. For those that have been following my journey, you will know I started whole class teaching for literacy in 2023.  It has been one of the best things I have ever done as a teacher and I want to urge others who may be considering it, to leap in and give it a go. You can read back over my blogs, but the main reason I started whole class teaching for literacy (had always done so for maths) was that I felt I was spread to thin across my class, that I was not having a positive impact on all of my groups and it was impossible to deliver any extra support for those that needed it, I just did not have the time.  Sometimes, I would find myself, with the end of the day looming, squeezing in a reading group, just so I felt better that I had seen them that day.  Value added = 0. My main concern about whole class teaching was the broad spread of abilities ...

 This vlog talks about the importance of understanding what lies beneath the learning outcome that we see.  It has been one of the biggest learnings for me and I hope this thinking is useful for you too.

We are currently experiencing massive changes in education here in Aotearoa. As someone who has embraced evidence-based practice, I should be fairly content with the intent of these changes. However, I am not. Why? Simply put, our current government is trying to impose 'accelerated' changes on a system where most of us are just struggling to keep our heads above water. While there is no denying that we desperately need to address certain aspects of literacy and math teaching, achieving this is nearly impossible right now without first implementing some long-overdue changes. Teachers are overwhelmed; they are dealing with behaviours not seen even five years ago, facing massive levels of need with little to no support. The stories I hear about the number of schools needing to teach children basic skills like using the toilet are overwhelming. Many children come to school with a developmental age of two or three, unable to speak in full sentences. Many teachers and leaders are exp...

This vlog focuses a little on leadership and a little on PLD,