5 FAQs about Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
In this post I’ll be answering 5 of the most frequently asked questions I received after my previous post titled, ‘What is Phonological Awareness and why does it matter? Let’s …
assessment
NAPLAN vs the 6+1 Writing Traits
“Will teaching my students about the traits improve their NAPLAN writing score?” It’s fast approaching NAPLAN season here in Australia, so the mad rush of ‘test prep’, ‘NAPLAN sprints’ and …
Admiring Your Students’ Writing- The What, Why And How
What is the admiring lens? Like most adults, when I read kids’ writing, I too am almost swallowed up in a sea of punctuation errors, twisted syntax, shifting tenses, and …
2 quick tips for effective data use
Considering report writing season is upon us, I thought I’d share 2 quick data use tips that are relevant for this time of the year. Even if you’re not enjoying …
How to ‘Marie Kondo’ Your Assessment Schedule
When my husband and I moved from Bendigo to Melbourne, I distinctly remember the removalist saying that if there’d been ‘one more box of bloody books’ he wouldn’t have done …
4 Steps For Navigating Towards Literacy Success
My husband and I enjoy rogaining (long distance orienteering that requires a minimum of two people per group). It’s not just the fact that it usually involves running around the …
A crucial first step in improving writing instruction
I love a good inspirational quote. My childhood gymnastics coach, Mr Palmer, introduced them to me. You couldn’t even go to the bathroom in his gym without facing uplifting words …
How to Plan for Effective Genre Instruction
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 …
5 assessment tips for remote learning
“How can we assess students in the online environment?” This is a question I‘ve been asked A LOT lately. So, here are 5 tips for approaching assessment in the remote …
Is silence the sign of an effective teacher?
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… …