World-Leading Education Now ‘Decidedly Average’

Schools around New Zealand are paying tens of thousands of dollars to private consultants to help them improve the way they teach reading. They are introducing the so-called “structured literacy” approach, more commonly known as phonics. While backed by 30 years of educational research, it is not funded by the Ministry of Education. Developed by the New Zealand educationalist Dame Marie Clay, the “balanced literacy,” or “whole language” approach, is based on the idea that learning to read should be as natural as learning to talk. If you put children in a “book-rich” environment, they will learn to read in their own time, taking their cues from pictures and context. Indeed, while this method works for many children, it doesn’t for far too many of our most vulnerable children, including an estimated one in seven with learning disabilities. Complete Article HERE