Category: small-posts

Almost a million children don’t have a book in their houses. Most concerning is that this lack of books is concentrated in younger children. National scandal.

“There has to be more to writing in English than this.” The English & Media Centre identify the chronic shortcomings of the dominant assessment model in English at KS3 which they say “is at odds with the creative nature of subject English”.

Seriously concerning report by the National Literacy Trust identifying the decline of children’s reading for pleasure. Seems to me the most important part is the section where children say what would encourage them to read more.

Just learned about Russel Hoban’s Riddley Walker. Set in post-nuclear devastated Kent. Hoban is a writer I know nothing about but seems pretty interesting.

Coming close to the end of my S-L-O-W re-read of The Two Towers. Having mixed feelings about the book if I’m honest.

Very much enjoyed the Silo tv series. Found myself literally on the edge of my seat for the final episode. That last scene!

Excellent TES interview with Professor Robert Eaglestone regarding knowledge and the ways that the teaching of English in schools has profoundly altered – and not for the better!

I support the seven actions proposed in the EMC’s Open Letter to Gillian Kegan, Secretary of State for Education.

Geoff Dyer: “Certain books are held dear because they are also psychic landmarks revealing where and how they helped us come into consciousness. Inevitably, our perception of the world continues to be informed by such texts long after the precise details of their contents have been forgotten.“

Apollo is shutting down on 30th June. Its app developer, Christian Selig, has been treated awfully by Reddit’s greedy leaders. I’m going to be deleting my Reddit account on 30th.