Should You Teach Genre or the 6 + 1 Traits?
I get asked this question quite a lot. And it excites me. Why? Because it’s generally asked after a teacher has had their eyes opened to the 6+1 traits of …
I get asked this question quite a lot. And it excites me. Why? Because it’s generally asked after a teacher has had their eyes opened to the 6+1 traits of …
Imagine there was a hospital that only trained its surgeons to put plaster casts on its patients. They’d heard about the benefits of plaster casts and how great they were …
Read moreWhy Guided Reading shouldn’t be mandated in schools
My husband and I have always loved the outdoors. The bush is our defibrillator; it recharges us and brings us back into our natural rhythm. It clears the mind and …
I’m in the middle of running the Writing Traits Masterclass at the moment (and LOVING it!) and I’ve had lots of questions about planning for genre instruction. So, here’s my …
As far as books go, 2020 has turned into Margaret Wild’s ‘The Sloth Who Came to Stay.’ You know the picture story book about the busy family forced to adjust …
A silent classroom was once the sign of an effective teacher. Of course, we now know that talk is highly beneficial to learning so this is no longer the case… …
Jodi Toering is a Victorian author and primary school teacher who last year released her stunning debut book, Mallee Sky. As soon as I read this book, I fell in …
One Thursday back in 2012, I received an email from the judging panel for the Lindsay Thompson Fellowship (a Victorian Education Excellence Award). They wanted to interview me the following …
Being a literacy consultant, I get the opportunity to visit lots of schools and observe in lots of classrooms. I see all types of wonderful teaching practice and I get …
Read more5 common mistakes teachers make in Independent Reading
Australian teachers and schools have the ‘benefit’ (if you can call it that) of entering this challenging time a few weeks after many other countries. We therefore have the opportunity …
Read moreTips for preparing student work during school closures