Today saw publication of the Government's Education #WhitePaper. We've shared a full response on our website, including our thoughts on the new statutory Year 8 reading assessment: bit.ly/4tQk4aj Bookmark our live blog to stay up to date with important announcements 🗞️ #SchoolLibraries #EduSkyUK

Excellent summary of where the expertise of academic researchers vs classroom-based practitioners lies, and why it can be hard to bring together.

PHENOMENAL response to this from English teachers so far! We'd love to have even more, so keep those responses coming. We'll be able to offer a really good picture of what's happening & what English teachers feel about the teaching of poetry in secondary schools.

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading: Day 20: This was one of my favourite reads of 2025! It takes pleasure in the complexities of English spelling rather than despairing of them. A great read for teachers of spelling! tinyurl.com/9vkw3d3h

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 19: Teaching high frequency words can be difficult because so many of them have unusual spellings. Today’s book uses the etymology of these words to help pupils to read and spell them. tinyurl.com/3hsh72hn

Thoughtful article on the use of sarcasm in the classroom 👇

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading: Day 18: Thought-provoking and thorough discussion of the implications of diagnosing dyslexia, not just for the individuals who receive a diagnosis, but for the education system as a whole. tinyurl.com/yvhhyk9n

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading: Day 17: Written specifically for educators, Unlocking Literacy is particularly strong on the way the etymology and morphology can feed into teaching. tinyurl.com/55v3xbej

Here are almost 40 of my favourite #MiddleGrade reads for 2025. A fantastic range from wild fantasy, to gritty realism, historical adventures and more than a few scares. What a brilliant year its been for children’s books

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading: Day 16: This is great for understanding the processes underlying reading. Not necessarily an easy read, but well worth the effort. Wait for the upcoming second edition before buying though! tinyurl.com/2nje2bkd

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading: Day 15: I’ve chosen this book by Valerie Muter because of its particular focus on literacy difficulties in the context of co-occurring diagnoses such as ADHD, DLD and dyscalculia. tinyurl.com/y85hbrs5

In case you missed it, the Today programme on Radio 4 had a lovely interview about the transformative power of learning to read as an adult yesterday (see 1 hr 33 mins at this link www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... ). Uplifting to listen to on a dark winter morning!

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading: Day 14: Lyn Stone’s book is great for helping literacy teachers to understand the main concepts in English spelling, and includes plenty of examples of engaging ways to teach them. tinyurl.com/2r5uuxck

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading: Day 13: Etymology can explain a lot about English spelling, so understanding the basic history of the English language is really helpful for interventionists. This is a great introduction! tinyurl.com/mmnpxejh

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading: Day 12: Thinking Reading by @jamespmurphy.bsky.social and @diannemurphy.bsky.social is a powerful reminder that teenagers *can* learn to read if given the right support. tinyurl.com/mujyr8d6

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 11: I learned a lot from @drsarahmo.bsky.social‘s book! It’s important not to neglect teaching reading to children with complex learning needs, despite a relative lack of research. tinyurl.com/3xwky82c

A list of annual children's & YA book festivals and events for schools, teachers and parents to look out for. schoolreadinglist.co.uk/competitions... #kidlit #ukedchat

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 10: A really solid textbook that covers the main aspects of reading development, includes evidence-based suggestions for teaching practice, and maintains a friendly tone throughout! tinyurl.com/dktddp3r

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 9: Well-known for a good reason – this is the best book about vocabulary teaching that I’ve come across, and it’s packed with practical examples. tinyurl.com/mryur4yw

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 8: There are a lot of books out there about cognitive science and its application to teaching. This, by Finola Wilson of @impactwales.bsky.social, is one of the best! tinyurl.com/zmruw72h

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 7: This is a fantastic book by Misty Adoniou. It’s a short, informative, practical, no-nonsense introduction to how to teach spelling, suitable for parents and educators. tinyurl.com/2x4hefsj

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 6: The Reading Mind by Daniel Willingham explores decoding and comprehension, and then examines the wider context of what makes a successful reader. tinyurl.com/yr3cnpnx

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading: Day 5: Focusing on comprehension today. This is a great textbook for explaining how much is involved in the process of understanding a text! tinyurl.com/6n2a7exs

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 4: This short book packs in a huge amount of information about the nature and causes of dyslexia! tinyurl.com/393vxt3r

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 3: My top recommendation for an overview of the science of reading! @suchmo83.bsky.social explains the research clearly, with a view to how teachers can apply it in the classroom. tinyurl.com/z7nf7t9h

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 2: My favourite book about how words work! If you’ve ever struggled to explain why a word is spelled in a certain way, read this! Great for those curious about Structured Word Inquiry. tinyurl.com/3cpxzpj8

My top 20 book recommendations for literacy interventionists #NationalYearOfReading Day 1: A practical introduction to the needs of dyslexic students by @louiseselby.bsky.social A great book to recommend to colleagues who don’t have a background in literacy teaching! tinyurl.com/3asx4ehc

Great ideas for increasing reading ability

Great suggestions from @alexjquigley.bsky.social. To his list, I’d add a spelling test - definitely an underrated tool! Easy to administer to a whole class, and it gives information about phonological awareness issues, grapheme-phoneme correspondences, spelling rules, word structure and more...

Wales' schools watchdog has announced today it will have a three year "enhanced focus on reading" from September 2026. Read more here: estyn.gov.wales/reading-for-...

New blog post. Some thoughts on the best ways to teach older pupils to read long words (and stop guessing them!). www.theliteracyhub.co.uk/insights/how...

New blog post. Some thoughts on the best ways to teach older pupils to read long words (and stop guessing them!). www.theliteracyhub.co.uk/insights/how...

A frank and, in places, eye-opening discussion with Elizabeth Nonweiler about her experiences on the Welsh Government's Expert Literacy Panel.

Exclusive: A member of the Welsh Government’s expert literacy panel has resigned, warning the new £8.2m national programme to improve reading is “flawed” and “not fit for purpose”. Full story below 🧵 1/

Just finished ‘Why Q Needs U’ by @dannybate.bsky.social and it’s so good that I had to update my list of Top Etymology Recommendations for Literacy Teachers to include it! www.theliteracyhub.co.uk/recommendati...

Great news! With so much focus on phonics, I think we sometimes forget the amount of reading it takes to develop fluency. Anything that will get publicity for the fantastic books out there for upper primary is a big win! www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

Recommended listening for anyone (like me!) who is teaching reading in Wales.

Please share! Free place in Let your Words Flow Online workshop for Sat 18 Oct 10am-12pm (UK time). A regular participant has generously sponsored a place for anyone needing the assistance of a free place. Message me here on Bluesky if interested. www.writingforwellbeing.co.uk/therapy-and-...

This short paper about the decline in volitional reading is definitely worth ten minutes of your time. "In an ecosystem which supports volitional reading, young people flourish and encourage each other as readers and learners." @teresacremin.bsky.social shorturl.at/PquEf

Interesting article suggesting that making "high-low" books more mainstream might help children make the transition to reading longer books. In our school library, we certainly have pupils who are 'stuck' on Dog Man! It's inspired me to try promoting our high-low books more next year...

It's half term, which means I have a copy of Primary Reading Simplified to give away. Simply *repost* this post for your chance to win. I will choose a winner at random this Saturday (22nd February).

How to gift wrap a book… my cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com books.

Love this (from the Literary Review):

The Welsh Government has published details of its Literacy Expert Panel. This panel has been tasked with reviewing the development of steps being taken to improve literacy in Wales. Updated guidance is expected to be given to schools in the New Year. www.gov.wales/literacy-exp...

Thread on need to fight for evidence-based policy - a response to Trump's cabinet picks. Based on new @bmj.com article by me, @martinmckee.bsky.social & @kentbuse.bsky.social TLDR: Now is the time to stand up for science, not appease those in power attacking it www.bmj.com/content/387/... 1/14

Inspired by @mmelockhart.bsky.social #SOR #PodcastPairing here are three of my recommended podcast pairings from the last month... If you can't explain English spelling through phonics, morphology or orthography, etymology probably has the answer!

Catching up on a few literacy podcasts this week... Highly recommend @suchmo83.bsky.social on Progressively Incorrect with @mrzachg.bsky.social - clear and very practical, especially on teaching reading fluency.

First post on Bluesky! Quick intro. I'm a former researcher in Linguistics/Psychology at Cambridge and Bristol, now developing and delivering evidence-based reading/spelling interventions at a Welsh secondary school. Especially interested in practical implementation of education research.