An expert take on the literacy news this week

An expert take on this week’s literacy news - a must listen👂

🤔 Listen in as Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at Massey University, James Chapman, provides some serious food for thought on the new Common Practice Model and some of the controversial elements of the National Party's education policy.

❓In this interview Kathryn Ryan is not afraid to ask the hard questions and Professor Chapman pulls no punches with his replies .....

👉 "At the moment the approach is generally based on the false idea that children will learn to read the way we learn to speak. It's absolute rubbish. It's been discredited for a long time."

👉 "There seems to be a knee jerk reaction against national assessments designed to find out how well children are doing. I think with a carefully prepared assessment device, that is designed to be diagnostic, and also to give teachers and parents a picture of how children are progressing. I think there is definitely a role for that."

👉 "The issue for me isn't so much about a specific block of time or time spread. I think what is more important is how that is used. How teachers actually teach."

👉 "Obviously poverty and school truancy are factors that will impact on learning. Hunger will impact on learning. But some schools are doing brilliantly, despite these challenges and so to have a blanket cop out is very, very unfortunate."

🗣️ PLEASE SHARE THIS WIDELY - We think this is a hugely important conversation that everyone should hear!

Listen to the full interview here.