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The Swindmills of Your Mind: Responding to John Swinney's Edu-Speak

The Swindmills of Your Mind: Responding to John Swinney's Edu-Speak

PE1668 Submission from Anne Glennie to the Petitions Committee 19th June 2019 I am writing to the committee in response to the Deputy First Minister’s latest submission (17th June 2019). I agree entirely that ‘phonics is only one part of

admin June 21, 2019May 3, 2020 Education, Gossip No Comments Read more

I’d like to teach the world to read… but I’d settle for every child in Scotland.

I’d like to teach the world to read… but I’d settle for every child in Scotland.

You can feel it in the air. The end of term. Proms, prize-givings, leavers’ assemblies and celebrations for all that’s been achieved in another full-to-bursting academic year. As schools close their gates for the summer, many involved in Scottish education

admin June 28, 2017May 4, 2020 Education, Gossip, Literacy, Uncategorized 2 Comments Read more

A Journey to the Dark Side: from Phonics Phobic to Phonics Fanatic

A Journey to the Dark Side: from Phonics Phobic to Phonics Fanatic

A Journey to the Dark Side: from Phonics Phobic to Phonics Fanatic I am delighted to have a feature article published in the summer edition of the NATE Primary Matters magazine. It’s quite a personal one, but it will hopefully

admin June 12, 2017May 5, 2020 Education, Gossip, Literacy No Comments Read more

The Library That Blew My Mind

The Library That Blew My Mind

During the Easter break, as part of my other day job, I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. I had a fantastic two days at the fair, met lots of wonderful people, saw

admin April 29, 2017May 5, 2020 Gossip, Literacy, Zoo News No Comments Read more

Why Upstart is a Nonstarter

Why Upstart is a Nonstarter

Upstart Scotland is actively campaigning to introduce a Nordic-style kindergarten system between the ages of three and seven, with learning being undertaken through ‘creative play’ rather than ‘formal’ learning. As a campaign that sits outwith Scottish education, I was shocked

admin September 18, 2016May 5, 2020 Education, Gossip 5 Comments Read more

Tackling Inequality Through Teaching: A Letter to the Prime Minister by Dr Marlynne Grant

Tackling Inequality Through Teaching: A Letter to the Prime Minister by Dr Marlynne Grant

I am delighted to be able to post this letter from Dr Marlynne Grant, to the Prime Minister, on the subject of tackling inequality through education. The Rt Hon Theresa May MP Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA

admin September 12, 2016May 5, 2020 Education, Gossip No Comments Read more

TESS article: When it comes to literacy, let’s start at page 1

TESS article: When it comes to literacy, let’s start at page 1

Today Nicola Sturgeon officially launched the ‘First Minister’s Reading Challenge’. Here is an article that I wrote for TESS about the challenge. It was published in TESS on 1st April 2016. TESS article: When it comes to literacy, let’s start at page

admin August 19, 2016May 5, 2020 Education, Gossip, Literacy No Comments Read more

Education Scotland and the Mystery of the Shifty Document Swap

Education Scotland and the Mystery of the Shifty Document Swap

KIA Briefing 2: Early Reading Back in February, Education Scotland published this: A Knowledge Into Action resource for practitioners and education staff Briefing 2: Early Reading. I blogged about the document and how it was a small step in the

admin April 24, 2016May 6, 2020 Gossip, Literacy, Phonics Forever 7 Comments Read more

My Verdict: Education Scotland's 'Early Reading Briefing'

My Verdict: Education Scotland's 'Early Reading Briefing'

Well, it has been just over a year since I started writing angry letters to the Scottish Government and campaigning about the need for proper phonics teaching in the classroom and in teacher training in Scotland. So today gave me

admin February 2, 2016May 6, 2020 Education, Gossip, Literacy, Phonics Forever 6 Comments Read more

I’m not angry, I’m livid (TESS article)

I’m not angry, I’m livid (TESS article)

According to a recent Guardian article, a group of children’s authors is writing to the UK government, to complain that primary teachers are “damaging children’s creative writing” by encouraging them to use language that is “too elaborate, flowery and over-complex”. Cecilia

admin August 15, 2015May 6, 2020 Gossip, Zoo News 1 Comment Read more

Dear Ms Constance: An Open Letter

Dear Ms Constance: An Open Letter

Dear Ms Constance I wrote to you in March 2015, although I realise that you probably don’t actually get to read every email you receive, given the demands of your job. I also wrote to my MSP Alasdair Allan back

admin May 20, 2015May 6, 2020 Education, Gossip, Literacy, Uncategorized 2 Comments Read more

Identifying Reading Problems: How will I know?

Identifying Reading Problems: How will I know?

I’ve just finished an interesting article in TESS: ‘When will literacy get its fairy tale ending?’ by Emma Seith. It has a great graphic showing the depressing SSLN results compared with two years ago, and there’s some super stats about

admin May 16, 2015May 6, 2020 Education, Gossip, Literacy, Phonics Forever, Uncategorized 8 Comments Read more

3-18 Literacy and English Review: THE BIT THEY MISSED OUT

3-18 Literacy and English Review: THE BIT THEY MISSED OUT

I have just finished reading the lengthy and repetitive report from Education Scotland: 3-18 Literacy and English Review. It’s a cross between an extended inspection report and a reminder of the content of the Experiences and Outcomes; as such it’s

admin April 24, 2015May 6, 2020 Gossip, Literacy, Phonics Forever No Comments Read more

It's a busy day today!

It's a busy day today!

Bonjour mes amis! Just a quick one today – to wish you all Happy International Book Giving Day – but more importantly – to wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you have had lots of nice deliveries

admin February 14, 2015May 6, 2020 Gossip, Zoo News No Comments Read more

Forget Valentine's Day…

Forget Valentine's Day…

Hey Everybody! Just a quick post to remind you that as well as being Valentine’s Day on 14th February – it is also International Book Giving Day! And how lovely it would be to celebrate it by exchanging books – we think it

admin February 4, 2015May 6, 2020 Gossip, Literacy, Zoo News No Comments Read more

Happy New Year and Happy New Term!

Dear Readers, Happy New Year! Well, as the first week back draws to a close, I’m sure that for most of you the term is already in full swing, the holidays are a hazy memory and you’re ready for the

admin January 8, 2015May 6, 2020 Education, Gossip, Literacy, Zoo News No Comments Read more

Thank you P3/4 at Burgh Primary School!

Thank you P3/4 at Burgh Primary School!

Well, we had to do an extra post today, because when we received an email from Mrs Scott and her class P3/4 at Burgh Primary School – we just had to share their work with you! Jeffrey was so excited

admin December 15, 2014May 6, 2020 Gossip, Literacy, Zoo News No Comments Read more

Goodbye to Big Writing

Goodbye to Big Writing

Well… what to say… yesterday was my final day of being a Big Writing consultant. The last four and a half years have been wonderful, and it’s truly been an honour and a privilege to work with Ros Wilson and

admin November 30, 2014 Education, Gossip, Literacy No Comments Read more

Ring a Ring o’ Rosen

Ring a Ring o’ Rosen

Dear Mr Rosen, I notice you’re fond of writing open letters, so I thought you wouldn’t mind being on the receiving end of one. Forgive me for thinking aloud, but I wonder if you are running out of things to

admin October 7, 2014 Education, Gossip, Literacy No Comments Read more

Brain Gym is Alive!

Brain Gym is Alive!

I have a confession to make. I still do Brain Gym in my classroom. I normally don’t mention it to people. It lost its credibility in the classroom after Dr. Ben Goldacres’s damning report on the Bad Science website. Its

admin October 7, 2014 Education, Gossip No Comments Read more

Is there a Trunchbull in your school?

Is there a Trunchbull in your school?

Dear Miss Trunchbull, I’m writing to you to because I’m worried about Miss Honey. I don’t think you’ve noticed, but she’s not herself at the moment. Something is missing from our classroom, and I’m not sure, but I think it

admin October 7, 2014 Education, Gossip No Comments Read more

A Word About Wow Words

A Word About Wow Words

Everyone loves Michael Rosen. He is one of my favourite authors to use in class to inspire children, through his books, poems and more recently the fabulous internet clips which bring poetry such as “Chocolate Cake” to life in the

admin October 7, 2014 Education, Gossip, Literacy No Comments Read more

Beyond the Hole in the Wall… but not much further

Beyond the Hole in the Wall… but not much further

This morning I finished reading ‘Beyond the Hole in the Wall: Discover the Power of Self-Organized Learning’ by Sugata Mitra. It’s a short book but it promises much: “This important update on Mitra’s groundbreaking work offers new research and ideas

admin October 7, 2014 Education, Gossip No Comments Read more

Handwriting is Dead (Oh no it isn’t!)

Reading my copy of TESS this week I was enjoying Fraser Speirs’ feature on using mobile phones in the classroom “Don’t run what ya brung”…until I got to the small print. Underneath the article some quotes from Fraser’s Tweets and

admin October 7, 2014July 24, 2023 Education, Gossip, Literacy No Comments Read more

Recent Posts

  • Task Map: John Lewis Christmas Advert 2021
  • The Swindmills of Your Mind: Responding to John Swinney's Edu-Speak
  • Snorghs at Sgoil na Pairc
  • P1 testing: from catastrophe to conspiracy?
  • World Book Day Reflective Reading Lesson Download!

Recent Comments

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  • Anne Glennie on P1 testing: from catastrophe to conspiracy?
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  • Anne Glennie on Identifying Reading Problems: How will I know?

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