News

Some of our best educational tools have been hanging around forever, waiting to be re-discovered.  In reading a recent article by Jennifer Gonzalez from The Cult of Pedagogy , I was reminded of the usefulness of the graphic organiser.  Yes, everything she mentioned  rings true with us at Literacy for Boys & Literacy for Kids,…

School holidays are approaching – it’s a great opportunity to encourage reading. Kids love to watch movies and tv shows, so why not motivate more reading with book choices that have stream-able adaptations? Many great children’s books have been adapted as movies or as a tv series, just take your pick from this list!  Happy…

NAPLAN results are headlining at the moment and the data is difficult to ignore.  However, we want to focus on the positives: how can we all work together to improve the literacy of our Aussie students? Here are some strategies that you – parents, teachers, tutors & boarding masters – can employ to enhance the…

NAPLAN data was released yesterday and I continue to be saddened at falling results, particularly with our teen boys in Year 9.  I wanted to share some key findings: Key points: About one in 10 students need extra support to meet classroom expectations, according to the latest NAPLAN data. NAPLAN standards have been revised upwards…

Children’s Book Week in Australia is held in August every year.  While organising a costume can be a trial for parents, it is a week that books and reading are celebrated.  Supporting the activities during Book Week shows your positive attitude and helps to promote book enjoyment in your son.  Use this week to ‘get…

I think many of us have witnessed the fact that boys would rather do anything but read.  Teachers and parents alike have heard all the excuses: he’s too busy, can’t find anything he likes or just doesn’t enjoy it.  Don’t worry, you’re not alone and there are plenty of things we can do to help…

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” — Emilie Buchwald Try to follow these easy parent friendly comprehension tips with your son, and with regular practice, they will become second nature. Read, read, read While this seems obvious, it can be tricky to get the reluctant reader to pick up a book….

As we head into the second part of the year, you may have found that your son’s mid-semester report was less than stellar? Or perhaps their learning needs aren’t being met?  I receive messages every week from concerned parents about their son’s literacy.  If they are neurodiverse, know that we can help.  Our latest internal…

Helping boys with comprehension is paramount. “James often plows right through reading, decoding words but not comprehending.” “I can tell that Samuel doesn’t get the meaning as he works through a text.” “Alex just gives up.” Sound familiar? As a teacher and tutor with 20+ years’ experience, I think that comprehension is probably one of…

Finding books for teens is really hard!  This is an age where kids often drift away from reading as books compete with social media.  This article will focus on girls.  So, teachers, parents, grandparents, aunties, librarians, friends: don’t give up on trying to put engaging books into their hands.  My own teen daughter is a…