Literacy

The latest news, analysis and best practice advice when it comes to literacy, from recent research and how to implement it to new guidance and what it means

Monday

16th Jun 2025

How do you know if an intervention is worth doing?
A reading intervention doesn’t have to deliver improved progress to be worthwhile – if it tells us more about the pupil’s needs, it’s helpful, says Megan Dixon
Child in diagonal library

Tuesday

3rd Jun 2025

Why phonics hasn’t won the reading wars - yet
While phonics is now universal in England’s schools, in other English-speaking countries the battle over the best way to teach reading is far from won. Holly Korbey investigates why
Reading wars phonics
Why oral language is the key to learning to write
Building children’s oral language, along with their motor skills, will make the challenge of learning to write less intimidating, explains Julian Grenier
oral language learning to write

Friday

30th May 2025

20 children’s books set in flats
In the move to diversify bookshelves, schools shouldn’t forget about representing different types of homes, writes Becka White, as she shares her list of recommendations
20 children’s books set in flats

Thursday

15th May 2025

How to get the most out of your reading intervention
Interventions are costly, so how can school leaders make sure that they are worth the investment? Zoe Enser gives an overview of best practice
Reading Intervention girls reading books

Monday

12th May 2025

Why Sats aren’t a true reflection of achievement
Helping children to feel a sense of achievement is crucial, but Sats aren’t the means to this end, writes Megan Dixon
Child doing a forward roll

Wednesday

30th Apr 2025

The teen reading crisis - and the plan to start fixing it
Too many teenagers don’t have the reading skills to access the curriculum, but Professor Jessie Ricketts is on a mission to change that
No entry sign

Friday

4th Apr 2025

Sats: Scrutiny over transcripts fuels rise in alleged cheating
Increase in cases of alleged maladministration has been fuelled by concerns over transcripts for pupils with illegible handwriting and test administrators ‘over-aiding’
Sats ‘maladministration’ up by 58% over two years
Exclusive

Tuesday

1st Apr 2025

What we keep getting wrong about reading and parents
There are unhelpful assumptions about families baked in to our reading guidance, writes Megan Dixon, so we must question these whenever we find them
Parent and child reading together

Thursday

13th Mar 2025

Aphantasia: education’s blind spot in teaching reading
What is it like to learn to read when you can’t make mental pictures? It’s an issue more educators should be aware of, argues Professor Julia Thomas
Artist with blank canvas

Tuesday

11th Mar 2025

Worsening speech and language skills make teaching more difficult, study finds
Nearly half of primary teachers say more pupils are struggling to communicate at the expected level for their age
Worsening speech and language skills make teaching more difficult, study finds

Tuesday

25th Feb 2025

Podcasts in class could tackle reading ‘crisis’
Children’s enjoyment of listening to audio has now surpassed that of reading, finds survey
Child listening to audio in library