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Early literacy instruction needs productive noise, not quiet guesswork. When young children learn to read, the room shouldn’t be silent. Early literacy learning should be a time of productive noise. Students should be saying sounds aloud and connecting them to letters and spellings. This also helps all educators give corrective feedback, which strengthens understanding and guides students towards fluency. We need to link the ears, mouth, and mind because this creates stronger

Learning to read is not a skill we learn by copying others. It's also far too complex for most to go it alone and learn through trial and error. Most children require instruction to flourish. The amount of instruction varies depending on the individual.  For some, it is a trek, and for others, a bump in the road. Learning to read is a crucial lifelong skill , so instruction must be efficient, engaging and scaffolded so the climb to the top of the literacy hill is not arduous

The word friend can be really tricky to spell until we highlight the silent <i> with the related word Friday. Read the blog, grab the picture books and download the resource pack.

Here is our list of books that we use in the weeks before and after Halloween.

Link the words ear, hear and heard for spelling instruction and decoding practice.

A list of engaging stories that bridge the gap between decodable texts and traditional chapter books to help sustained reading practice.

A list of short stories that students can transition to after decodable school readers or books that can work alongside school texts.

A CK spelling booklist to use for phonics and spelling lessons.

We often play mini games at the beginning, middle, and end of sessions. This helps students focus for longer when I am teaching as the...

Halloween is almost here, so it's the perfect time to use the festival as a learning resource. What better way to celebrate the season...

Do you have students who have 'given up the ghost' with spelling because they just don't seem to understand? Do you feel like you have...

CK looks like just another spelling for the /k/ sound — but as with the spelling QU there is a reason behind the spelling. It isn't just ano

The word queue has a strange spelling and an interesting story to tell. The word has four vowels in a row that don't look as if they do...

When teaching letters and sounds, a quick story about the 'why' can engage and enthuse most students. Why does Q almost always go with U?...

A list of Aussie picture books to help teach the 'qu' spelling. Let's learn all about quolls and quokkas too.

We love playing Uno with our disCARD packs. To mix it up in the clinic, we also play other games.

Teaching how to decode is crucial—gentle advice for the classroom and home. Grab the free resources, too!

Many components have to come together for reading to happen. For many, learning to read starts at school. A knowledgeable teacher, enough time, and the right resources should be all most need to flourish. To get the free learning to read poster, go here. Learning to read is not natural. It does not just happen. When we teach any new skill, it is often the subskills that need training before mastery and brilliance occur. It would be lovely to think that surrounding children

A parent guide to effective practice. I hope it helps all parents ask questions and start a conversation about what practices they see and w

The digraph mini activity books are a great tool for instruction to motivate and engage. They are bite-sized activities to use after...