News

Attention educators – we have just released a brand new literacy profile report for your learners!  Monitoring and documenting literacy progress is essential in not only helping students feel supported but also to grow more positive and independent in their learning. Our team at LFK and LFB provide teachers with a term-to-term information report about…

This post looks at the six strategies that are used most commonly in classrooms today.  Direct instruction to support comprehension development includes what is referred to as the ‘super six’.

I am one of the growing number of educational researchers who are concerned that schools and even preschools are trying to teach boys to read and write too soon.  Starting boys on these concepts too soon can be one of the causes for the negative attitudes boys develop toward reading and writing, and even school….

Learning occurs best in a social context – that is, we learn best when we are allowed to share ideas, ask questions and engage in problem-solving with others.  Learning should be a joy for children and promote a sense of confidence and competence.  Students of all abilities learn best when they feel safe, in control…

I am frequently asked, “How can I improve my child’s writing?” or “How can I improve my child’s understanding of maths?”  You might be surprised to hear that I often suggest reading is the fundamental skill that can help to develop knowledge in other areas of the curriculum.  Time and time again I see students…

The NAPLAN debate is always re-invigorated at this time every year. The testing window this year has been moved to Term 1 and has added extra navigation for teachers.  However, this standardised testing with a national benchmark, gives educators and parents a view into how an individual student is performing amongst their peers (particularly after…

Many of my articles focus on improving literacy for boys who are below standard literacy levels.  But what about the boys who ‘coast’ and don’t challenge themselves?  Boys dislike learning that is too easy, but of course at the same time they do not want learning to be too difficult.  In teaching, the principle of…

One of Queensland’s largest State Primary schools has received outstanding results from using Literacy for Kids and Literacy for Boys programs. The recent study has seen participants’ results improve significantly.   Tested age for spelling, reading & comprehension improved by up to 52 weeks in just 18 weeks using the program!  Yes, some learners made a…

We had a huge response to last week’s article about increasing Students’ Writing Stamina!  Lots and lots of emails from both parents and teachers about writing challenges.  Writing is back-breaking, mind-breaking work.  Kids (boys especially!) might ask: What’s the point?   So we thought we’d publish engaging resources such as free printables, that you can use…

Why do certain students possess the ability to write continuously while others find it challenging to put down even a few sentences? What exactly is meant by “writing stamina”? After poor national writing results last year, writing is high on many schools’ priority list. One of the most common challenges that I hear is “My…