A strange post . . .

 

 

 

I have just found a copy of a school book that I had when I was 6 or 7 years old. I was brought up in the Midlands of England in a place called Brereton and the school I went to taught International Teaching Alphabet ITA, a phonic system.
I now shudder when ever anyone mentions phonics, for having gone to school aged 5 able to read and write I left that school at 8 unable to read anything but ITA. The books were very limited and only available at 'Boots the Chemist' and my parents couldn't read them. 
I have many students with very poor literacy skills, I worry for them and try everything to make them step out of their comfort zone and address this problem, but it is so hard for people after a certain age to have the resilience to try and increase literacy skills. 
I follow Michael Rosen's blog as I find his eloquence and passion regarding this aspect of our education system interesting. 
This is a problem that haunts me, as so many students are coming out of school without basic literacy skills and I still struggle with my own grammar and spelling demon's.

A Pirate I Will Be

Finlay's room has just had a make over which included this wonderful screen printed poster from San Fransisco's only pirate store http://www.826valencia.org/store this is the coolest shop and indeed coolest organisation as it works to improve literacy with great workshops tutorage ect. The shop has clothes, glass eyes, pirate flags and a resident puffer fish, have a look.