Only phonics instruction is proven effective for treating reading disability, says systematic review

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Reading instruction was once a topic guaranteed to ignite passionate debate among teachers, mostly between proponents of phonics instruction and supporters of whole-language approaches. Although this particular controversy has become less heated in recent years, with many endorsing a hybrid or mixed-methods approach, there remains a great deal of interest in the relative merits of [read the full story…]

Cochrane review inconclusive about the impact of music education on the reading skills of children with dyslexia

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Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder characterised by difficulty with spelling and decoding words. The NHS Choices website explains that people with dyslexia typically have trouble with: phonological awareness (the ability to identify the units of sound within words) verbal memory (the ability to remember a sequence of verbal information for a short period of [read the full story…]

Is ‘Evidence’ a dirty word in education?

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Many of us are frustrated by the lack of improvement in pupil outcomes relative to spending. Educational reforms have come and gone, with vast sums of money being spent, but research shows little or no improvement in outcomes. This can be exasperating for those who strive to raise standards in our schools. However, have those [read the full story…]