Thousands leaving primary school unable to read - Inside Wales' reading crisis | ITV News

[@luvghd]

I struggled to read as a child despite my parents always reading to me. So my parents took me to a retired teacher who taught me how to read by sounding out the words instead of the techniques that were being taught at the time. English ended up being my favourite subject and I grew up loving to read. I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity, all kids should have this regardless of background.

[@LuciThomasHardylover-qx6ts]

I was taught to read by the sounding out method, I taught my younger brother and then taught all three of my children that way. I can't see why you would do it any other way. My oldest was refused 2 school places because I'd already taught him to read phonicly, and at that time the dreaded 'Letter land' was the rage. How do you go from Annie apple and Bertie bee to reading! A whole generation was let down there, it's awful to think this fads still go on. On the other hand,a bit of parental input makes all the difference!

[@SieMiezekatze]

Phonetics is normal in most languages , words that are to be read as they are written is the Standard

[@krystelhardesty9960]

That's how I learned to read too and they still teach this in school my kids learned the same way

[@LuciThomasHardylover-qx6ts]

@@krystelhardesty9960 it's hard to understand how and why anyone made it so complicated! An awful lot of public money has been wasted on gimmicky reading schemes, training the teachers and new sets of worthless books over the years. Letterland are about the only books I've thought should be burned! I home-educated mine, and am a great fan of peer-to-peer learning. I've seen it so successfully done in so many situations, it's how we adults learn, it's so natural and easy..how a child can spend their waking hours in a school and come out illiterate is quite beyond me.

[@SimPilotMika]

Wait, kids aren’t being taught “sound it out” anymore!?!?

[@bl3313]

Maybe the Education Department didn't respond to their questions because they couldn't read them. 😊😊😊

[@Dqtube]

It's great that I'm not the only one who thought of this while watching the report

[@robertbones326]

Lol

[@clewis4744]

Perhaps it needs to be sent bilingually. And even then you won't get a response.

[@mannaporanna2678]

@@clewis4744 Or perhaps in bigger print 🤣

[@MagisterialVoyager]

😭💀😂

[@robertbones326]

This is almost like abuse or neglect. I can't imagine not being able to read.

[@discipleaj]

Absolutely! It's directed neglect to destroy the Welsh people, who, by the way, are the original Britons.

[@timpala5841]

​@@discipleaj 😂 .... Any evidence? Or just paranoia?

[@discipleaj]

@timpala5841 any evidence of 'what', exactly?

[@timpala5841]

@@discipleaj uh? I dunno? Maybe the stupid, self pitying comment you made...🤷😭

[@Kangostone]

Agree 💯

[@bevturner2258]

I’m having trouble understanding how a child could be taught to read by looking at pictures and guessing. I’ve never heard of such a crazy method!

[@ewanfraser]

I wish they more clearly described the two methods. It’s hard for me to imagine what they are teaching.

[@EdMcF1]

Works (eventually) in Chinese and Japanese.

[@JohnSearleFangirl]

Tell us that you know nothing about those 2 languages. They both have very strong phonetic components, Japanese has an alphabet comparable to English's

[@gnommg]

In the seventies there was a study that found that people only ever looked at the first and last letter when reading. Therefore the hypothesis was developed that context and pattern recognition were more important for reading than sounding out. The new method was called cueing. Children memorized the pattern of the most common words and were expected to guess unknown words by context. This lead to very fast progress in the first three years of literacy aquisition. However the older the kids got the more they fell behind because guessing by context leads to a high failure rate. This lead to a resurgence of phonics. Modern studies show that even though the findings of the former study were correct the hypothesis was not. Brain imaging shows that even when only looking at the first and last letters the sound recognition parts of our brain are still activated, so we are still using phonics to decode language. Most good modern curricula teach phonics but also introduce sight words that children memorize because the English language has a lot of words that can't be decoded phonetically.

[@palmpalm5131]

@@EdMcF1. But their language system is different…where a character represents a whole word. In English you have to string together a series of characters and sound them out to form a word. My goodness. The low level of understanding in some parts of the west is astonishing.

[@mannaporanna2678]

And this is one of the most developed countries in the world?? I'm from Eastern Europe and we are expected to read not only our native language but also at least one foreign language while still in primary school. British kids would never survive that.

[@davidlafleche1142]

The same thing is happening in Oregon and Illinois.

[@roops2939]

When I lived in the UK, it seemed that the children were spoilt. The quality of education was poor.

[@frusia123]

That's because communism believed in equality of education (yeah, communism had some positives, free access to education and healthcare were some of the main ones). In societies where class division is still alive and well there are different standards of education for different groups of children. The children whose parents can't afford private education are purposefully taught to a lower level to deepen the division and continue to create a class of people that are not only poorer materially but also intellectually.

[@roops2939]

@frusia123 you giv me free money, I fat, wife fat, we depress, no job , not work, 10 children, fat, no food, no cloths, no house, you giv please. Children say they depress not like skool.

[@frusia123]

@@roops2939 I think you and your family aren't fat because someone is giving anything to you for free. You're fat, because your master is taking all the real food for himself and his family, and all you can afford is some genetically modified food-like substance devoid of nutrients. That's why you're fat and sick. But the master will tell you to work until you drop, and maybe he'll be merciful enough to give you some opiates towards the end, so you can stop feeling before you actually stop feeling anything for good. He's so kind, your master, isn't he?

[@kingfisher9553]

Failing to teach the most basic tool of phonics??? This makes no sense.

[@alisonlaing5626]

maybe some of the parents "need" to know when having kids theres more than just "conception" etc..........

[@JakeGardener-yv7ev]

Most of them are immigrants

[@jj-gk6rj]

​@@alisonlaing5626this is a big part of it. Yes, the schools have issues but most parents now do not invest any time in their children, they expect the internet, the tv, whoever else is available to teach their child things. Most are too glued to their phones to parent...

[@racheljones8314]

And the majority of children are in school for 6 hours 5 days a week so what an earth are they teaching them

[@BowserLucaTheThird]

'Phonics' really the time to show off isn't it

[@TheEmmaLucille]

Even a non specialist can understand you don't learn how to READ by GUESSING words.., this absurd.

[@WorldTurndUpsideDown]

This is not the only issue. Teachers aren't allowed to teach anymore (they are not trusted to use their best judgement to make and give assignments. They are forced give hundreds of tests that take up a ton of time. Then they're forced to give hours a day of math and reading intervention until the kids are sick to death of it. Fun and relaxation are not allowed. Teacher's are spread too thin with pointless meetings. They are given developmentally inappropriate materials to teach from and spend hours upon hours adapting the content so the students can get anything from it. They also are putting up with student violence and disrespect. On top of that parents fight teachers, tell their kids that they don't have to listen to teachers, and never stress the importance of education. "Sold a Story" has created a scapegoat for what is really a legal and administration crisis that won't be solved just by teaching phonics.

[@debrakelly4505]

Every bit of this is exactly true. This is why I left the classroom. I now support students through Tutoring.

[@laszloarany2160]

Beg to differ! Once you close that classroom door behind you, no one truly cares about what you do with the kids so long as everything is documented as required by the powers that be. If you are a qualified, consciencious teacher you can quickly measure up the capabilites of your students and train them, coach them, teach them, engage them accordingly. You can choose the methods of how to be the most effective and the most expedient without letting the system know about it. At least this is how I do it in my country - Hungary. On paper everything goes as required, but in practice it is totally different. Proves very efficient!Both parents and students are gratified so there is no complaint. (Eveybody seems happy!) My dearest colleagues in the UK! Have gravel in the guts and teach effectively not by the book. That book was written by people who have not a single practical smattering in education whatsoever.

[@theoeguia3302]

Excuses

[@WorldTurndUpsideDown]

@@theoeguia3302 What grade do you teach?

[@mctinacarrillo]

​​@@debrakelly4505I am also a tutor before Pandemic I resigned in Kumon got disappointed with my fellow assistant who are not that productive and have a different priority. The student is my priority, I just hope one can be honest on how they teach their student and not prioritizing their looks, I had a co-assistant who place nail colors in front of their students. Done their hair infront of their students. Use too much of their phone infront of their students. So we really need to address things like this. If we love our students we had to make the extra mile too in teaching them. Just saying.

[@InTheWillows75]

PICTURES INSTEAD OF SOUNDING OUT WORDS?! LIFE DOESN'T GIVE YOU ILLUSTRATED DOCUMENTS, BUDDY!!! 😭

[@BarnaliD]

Who even came up with this and was able to convince others that THIS is the way to go!?

[@heronimousbrapson863]

Trying to learn to read without a grounding in phonics is like trying to build a house without tools.

[@FF-vx2vl]

Phonics isn’t the answer to everything 😂, reading was normal at home, how often parents demand their kids read to them during homework time , they’re probably on their phones most days

[@heronimousbrapson863]

@@FF-vx2vl That's like saying tools aren't all you need to build a house. True, but they ARE necessary.

[@user-pe8il6pd2v]

Exactly!!! Been saying that for years! Need to build that foundation. Same as doing math without knowing the numbers. It doesn't work! Why take away what has worked for decades?? Almost seems like something out there is trying to bring down a generation of people so they will stay illiterate and poor therefore easy to manipulate and control.....

[@SEPHIROT12k]

Before I even entered school, I could read.

[@Ula-Ka]

How do deaf people learn?

[@esthermarcen7587]

11 years old reading as 4 , she can not read her timetable (that must be numeric also) they did not see it earlier.???

[@lindyashford7744]

Of course they did, the mother said as much, however you cannot make a child learn if they are not given the means to comprehend what they are supposed to understand. This often takes more the one approach and often schools do not have trained senco’s they are just ordinary teachers with a special interest or who have volunteered for the role. They are not always well supported, it can take years to get a meaningful programme in place for the child or any assistance at all. If a child cannot read by 11 then they almost certainly have special learning difficulties that need to be addressed. Some primary schools if they have not resolved things by age 8 leave for the better resources secondary schools to deal with. Any individual learning plans often get pushed to the end of the academic year anyway, get reviewed and pushed to the next years. I may be a bit outdated in my teems but maybe it is obvious I have watched my own child go through this situation. Secondary school was no better with various experts inventing theories of their own…. The child really does suffer in these situations because the only emphasis is on something they do not understand and hardly any of the things they do understand get documented, because along with the inability to read comes an inability to write….. then basically they get written off for life unless a small miracle occurs.

[@DAN420.]

@@lindyashford7744 I blame the terrible parents.

[@lindyashford7744]

@@DAN420. well you shouldn’t. Schools are the experts in teaching reading writing and number and if they are using a discredited system of teaching reading then the child will not progress, no matter what the parents do, because teachers have them five days a week at the best times for learning and the best ages too. I encountered that teaching method, it is great to get kids to enjoy the books and the pictures but does zero for their reading ability. These days many schools do not want the parent intervening in the learning process. It is a lose lose situation if their child does not learn what is needed. Learning support has been cut to the bone too, and any child lagging behind is unlikely to catch up easily especially in a crucial skill like reading.

[@mannaporanna2678]

​@lindyashford7744 so maybe someone should think about employing proper teachers who actually have professional knowledge and education instead of 'just volunteers'. They are supposed to take responsibility for children after all.

[@lindyashford7744]

@@mannaporanna2678 they do employ proper teachers, every class has one. However in primary school where a lot of attention to children is needed and children themselves are quite demanding additional help is needed, especially if there are special needs kids in the class addional people are employed called teaching assistants who help with various task related needs, freeing the teacher to deliver the lessons planned for. I don’t know whether you have ever been in a class of 30 children aged around 4-6 years old, each with different learning needs. I have and can say it is very intense hard work and any help is valuable.

[@r8chlletters]

So you’re saying these kids just move to the next grade without being held back and with no plan to resolve this??

[@lora5638]

that's right. British politicians have ruled out holding back a year categorically for decades. Also, school starts at 4 years old by the 31 August. Many children are still too young developmentally and stay behind.

[@CanadianMonarchist]

Yes 😢

[@FoundNoWiser333]

I was in the USA. They figured my math scores would make up for my failing reading and spelling scores.

[@lora5638]

@@FoundNoWiser333 And? Did it make up for it? It's a disgrace!

[@churchofpos2279]

@@FoundNoWiser333 I am in the US also. I work with a lot of under 25 years old who can not do basic math , read or spell. They are functioning at about the 4th grade level. I have to help them figure out basic math issues and how to spell words. it's really shocking that this generation is going to be in charge someday

[@Justagirlok101]

My son is 15 with a mild learning disability, I’ve home educated him since he was 9 and he now reads better than most adults. What worked for us is lots and lots of reading fiction books that he enjoyed so that reading became a pleasure for him. I don’t understand how these children are getting so far into their school lives without this being flagged up.

[@susannah1066]

Don't want to embarrass the kid-they just get pushed through to the next grade.

[@Olivia-W]

Yeah! I grew up on Harry Potter and other books like that. I worked my way to the Lord of the Rings, loved it, and continue reading :).

[@Justagirlok101]

@@Olivia-W He loves the Harry Potter books too! But he’s currently reading All Creatures Great And Small :)

[@christopherdean1326]

"Reads better than most adults" In my experience, these days that is a low bar!

[@annaanna4168]

There isn't enough to read books. First you need to teach reading by the proven methods.

[@monkeymonkeyprimate9858]

This is a problem in the US as well. Too much time is spent on testing, then teaching to the test. Teachers do not have time to go over the basics. Admin gets angry if teachers take too long on a topic even if the students need that extra support. Also it is impossible to get kids extra help or tested for special education services until they are in third grade. By then it's too late.

[@jjjccc728]

I don't see what the problem is by teaching to the test. If the test is good it will cover what needs to be learned. So teaching what needs to be learned is the whole point.

[@ailblentyn]

@@jjjccc728I used to think like you until I had children and saw that my commonsense assumptions didn’t work out. Teaching to the test is bad because tests are always going to be crude tools. Also teaching to the test means learning techniques to finesse the test-grading software (especially for comprehension tests), which is just a pure waste of the child’s time. I actually think that most children can’t learn to read just at school. There isn’t the class time. Teach your children to read at home! Make it a priority!

[@jjjccc728]

@@ailblentyn At least the child has to learn to read the test questions. Spending time learning techniques to finesse the test-grading software just shows the incompetence and desperation of the teachers who can't teach the children to comprehend.

[@Tobe82-b9q]

What I’ve learned as a parent in the U.S. it’s the job of parents to teach the basics, like reading, writing and math drills. My daughter that is a senior in high school just learned that the learning and teaching experience is different even for her classmates. And I know most parents don’t have time to fulfill those basic needs. Because they have to work.

[@thodoriss3068]

@UC3iaIOexZAK2FGuMAnJ5KVw It's not your job to teach them. Your job is to make sure they do their homework properly. That they will sit on their desk for 1-2 hours or however long it takes them and try to do their homework. As a math teacher, i don't care so much wehter they did everything properly. I care more about their engagement, that they will sit above a problem and use their head to try to solve it. They might not succeed the first few times, but with practice they will. And that's the problem with todays kids. The parents don't do check how engaged they are with homework, just that they complete it either using a parents' help or by watching a video and copying the steps. The point of homework is to use your brain and practice your skill!!

[@mandie30]

Growing up in Zimbabwe my parents introduced us to the public library at a very young age. I remember being excited about borrowing new books each week. I had to write a summary of each book and read it yo my mom after work as she prepared dinner. Any new word had to be written down and meaning found out using the 'prized family dictionary' 😅. I couldn't wait to own my personal one. I loved reading, I enjoyed imagining how the rest of the world functioned. I know, I will encourage those reading habits to my kids. It shaped us. My parents set the foundation.

[@KS-cl8br]

What a wonderful approach to foster a love of reading

[@webreathefootball663]

What age did your parents start if you don't mind?

[@mandie30]

@webreathefootball663 sorry for responding late. As far as I can remember, at around 3 ish I was already interested in books. I'm not sure what they are called now, but we had these card reader things with images on one side and either simple letters or short words on the other. Those are the ones I remember being keen on at first.

[@mandie30]

@webreathefootball663 the library itself only allowed children from age 5, I believe. However, at garage sales or church fundraisers books were often sold cheap so we aimed for those too. Enid Blyton anything was my happy place.

[@webreathefootball663]

@@mandie30 Thank you very much.

[@paololuckyluke2854]

Whatever it is that is outdated, the fact remains that people in the past were far more literate than people are nowadays.

[@daffidkane8350]

Amen!

[@reekinronald6776]

If those teaching methods worked in the past then logically, whats causing the problem now is NOT the method of teaching. How did the Teaching industry become so st-up!d? I'm guessing the Teaching professors now training new teachers didn't select "Logic and Algebra" as one of their electives in high school or University.

[@dehn6581]

@@reekinronald6776 Phonics was the standard teaching method for centuries until the mid-50s when some places starting trying out new techniques like context and whole word that tend to be faster earlier on with the trickier words, but fail in the long run with most words we're seeing. Thankfully the 'new' methods didn't catch on everywhere and most have reverted back. it's the teaching methods and the industry that has been built around it and pushing these trends causing the problems.

[@katarinamor]

​@@dehn6581Thank you for this comment, you explained the situation far better than the news report. The system is not "outdated", it simply never worked and they refuse to say it out loud.

[@warpnin3]

Well said! All these "new methods" are often money making scams from curriculum developers and seem to confuse rather than educate many children

[@Onajourney519]

I can't believe this!! I'm an English tutor, I taught a child to read in 2 months using phonics and I'm not a qualified pgce teacher just a celta certified teacher, even if those teachers don't know, what are you doing in your own time! I'm always researching methods of teaching, a quick Google and all this information is online!!!! This is insane

[@Flower55949]

Parents need to be going over all of this when they are at home. Schools for social skills, confidence, friends, problem solving, independence. Home is learning basics such as reading, spelling, maths ict ect...

[@lightloveandawake3114]

I was 10 years old before I could read in English. I couldn’t understand how to read in sounds. I memorized words but eventually, I couldn’t keep up with the group. When I did learn to read, I had trouble understanding what I was reading, this was throughout high school, through college, and eventually my work. Then along came my children and I read stories out loud to them at bedtime. Upon the thousands of books I read, I grew to comprehend what I was reading. Turns out, I had to get down to the basics, sounding, and mass reading that helped me. Although, I’m dyslexic I’m now quicker to self-correct. Thank you for helping your students learn to read. Have a lovely day. 😊💕

[@sashavenderwoodsen3946]

This is why children shouldn’t allow to go to the next year if they don’t pass their exam as in Belgium and France and others countries and this will challenge them.

[@zuzannanowicka6348]

In my country of origin it is based on grades - sometimmes it works, sometimes it doesn't tbh

[@r8chlletters]

Teachers and parents should be identifying this and holding back their child and implementing an after school program.

[@persephone_srgns]

Ppl barely read here in France, we have the french baccaleaureate at the end of the year and people stumble all the time, even if you don't pass the brevet you'll have to go to highschool (the brevet is between middle and highschool so 14-15yo) because there isn't enough money, unless the parents clearly say that they want their kid to do the year again. It's not a secret that there is no money, the teachers tell us directly that there is little to no chance to redo a primary or middleschool year. The hours are horrendous, the young age is harmful and the quality of the courses are dreadful. The English we've been doing since we were 3 is appaling, the kids can't conjugate the most basic verbs. And we need to go over spelling in French class too. So no. Staying at school from 8 to 6pm from the age of 2-3 to at the very least 16 is not the solution.

[@maryminty5876]

That would be classed as discrimination, bad for the child's self image. So woke in Wales.

[@Who-lg9my]

it's only works up to a limit

[@MrGreekstatue]

This is happening all over the world. Not just Wales.

[@ideaWorld403]

Definitely happening in NZ. The govt here has now mandated 'structured' literacy (phonetics) vs 'balanced' literacy which fails so many children.

[@irinshi8379]

Funnily enough but children in Russia unless they're dyslectic have no such problems even though mandatory school starts only at the age of 7 and pre-school preparation at the age of 5.5 or 6. The school programmes are far from being perfect but reading is never an issue.

[@mamadragonful]

It's happening in the US.

[@knmplans]

It’s because the lower classes started seeking higher education en masse. Parents had this (reasonable) dream, they wanted a better life for their children. One where they weren’t working around the clock for slave wages. This has been problematic for those higher up on the food chain. So, how do you fix this? You leave a generation uneducated. Only those with significant time & resources will have literate children. Those children will succeed in school, pursue higher education, and earn comfortable wages with minimal effort. The illiterate peasants will be forced to start over and it will take generations to recover.

[@pudding-c5i]

Loud and wrong

[@jamesbecki8104]

I'm the chair of the PTFA at my kids school, ( not Wales, West Yorkshire) My observations are a lot parents simply drop their kids off, pick them up and ready don't know the functions of a school or how the curriculum operates. The teachers, try so hard to commute with parents we even have an app which regularly posts updates on how parents can help their kids with learning etc, the school is always hosting additional sessions to get parents involved etc. Yesterday I went for a phonics introduction session for my youngest, it was well advertised and highlighted the benefits of why parents should attend, out of class of 22, 5 parents including myself attended. I'm on good terms with the Head, and the school as a whole really pushes parental involvement in education, but it seems to fall on a lot of deaf ears.. Its a good school, who knows what its like for those in special measures etc

[@Tribuneoftheplebs]

My parents are immigrants with bad English skills and i still was an advanced reader and have a uni degree. I never expected any help from my parents but what they did was set the expectations for achievement and would get angry if I didnt meet them.

[@gigiatlas2364]

My mum or anyone else NEVER got involved, and I could read within one month because I was so keen (that was in France in the 80's, but still)

[@qRT-PCR]

Makes sense why these kids can't read, the parents can't even properly use certain words...

[@spoonikle]

I bet most of those “Parents” are just chasing checks and paying bills.

[@jamesbecki8104]

@@spoonikle Like me then! Removing oneself from checking out the latest 'influencer', putting your phone down and reading with your kid for 10 mins isn't much to ask is it? Babies aren't delivered by storks FYI. Adults brought the little ones into the world, and you're a fool if you think the state will look after your kids. Own your responsibilities or simply don't bother, 'checks ' which should be 'cheques' If you're referring to a method of payment ( testament to my argument) go a lot further without kids, and paying bills is a hell of a lot easier.

[@axelsme]

Where are the parents???? You should not entirely blame the school system!!!

[@chrisoneill3999]

If the teachers don't know that all early reading needs to be phonics-driven, you should certainly blame the school system. And the teacher training system. And the Welsh Government.

[@JakeGardener-yv7ev]

Because its mainly the new Welsh that make up these stats

[@claudiamayer-g9h]

Because parents are so busy working for small wages no quality time at all

[@harshmnr]

That and it can't be THAT hard for teachers to realize that it's not working... ~:~

[@fairywingsonroses]

@@harshmnr I think most teachers do know it doesn't work, but they often don't have a choice in the matter. When I taught elementary school, I was not allowed to deviate from the assigned curriculum for any reason, even if such a deviation would have helped the students immensely. I actually got into a lot of disagreements with administrators and my department chair over it and was let go at the end of the year. I was grateful to finally get a job in a high school where I had more autonomy to teach in the way that I thought was best for my students. I will never teach elementary school again. It's far too micromanaged, and I would rather not teach than teach ineffectively.

[@dailydoseofeverything7141]

School fails at a lot more than just reading, how many years did everyone learn spanish, french, welsh, irish, german or whatever language? I spent 5 years learning spanish in school and yet understood literally nothing and also couldn't say anything beside "hola". We need to revaluate the entire system, millions of hours are being wasted, millions of hours where people could master actually useful skills with the right learning method. After I left school I decided to teach myself spanish and in less than 6 months I was reading novels. You might say "oh that's cause you studied it for 5 years in school" and you couldn't be more wrong. I've learned more languages since and within a week or two I'm usually way past the level I was in school. School gave me next to nothing, you will learn more in a week of self study than you will in a decade of school. Art's another example, I spent hundreds of hours in art class and yet saw no improvement, the teacher just sat down and told you to draw something, there was no deliberate practice, literally all art is, is deliberate practice, its all about the perception of lines and shapes, literally all the teacher had to do was explain that basic concept and encourage us to be aware of it when drawing, its incredibly simple and yet they failed catastrophically. There's a lack of organisation, planning and critical thinking behind the methodologies used. If I had to teach a 5 year old to read, I would have them reading roald dahl level novels in a month, reading is an extremely straightforward skill, its all about building a foundation by learning the alphabet and then practicing sounding out words, eventually the sounding out becomes subconscious and effortless. Edit: just watched more of the video and they're doing exactly what I said (phonics). How can the school system be so collectively braindead as to not realise that thats how people learn to read?

[@fan6408]

Я согласна с тобой. Я из России. Мой учитель английского говорил, что в школе вы никогда не выучите язык. Полезнее учиться самому

[@rhyfelwrDuw]

I agree re languages! I can't stand the way they're taught in the UK! A relative who is a head teacher has said that our education system in the UK is archaic and is in desperate need of change!

[@mannaporanna2678]

​@@rhyfelwrDuwBut I think it is also a matter of mentality. Many people in the UK don't assume they would ever REALLY need to rely on a foreign language. Wherever they are on holiday they can always try to communicate in their mother tongue. And it usually works.

[@watermelon520b]

yes i feel the same about math. i realized when i was older i was not that bad at it. no one would explain formulas to me when i was a child so i struggled because i didn't always understand how they got to this or that answer. there were so many little things that i learned myself that no one ever explained to me and when i saw i was shocked how simple it was. sometimes it was just a small thing like how to divide fractions properly or how to solve for x. instead my teachers just expected me to magically understand how to do things. i hated school, and don't miss it.

[@fan6408]

@@watermelon520b Точно. Мне ужасно не нравилась скорость обучения математике в школе. Никто не успевал ничего усвоить. Поэтому у моего класса были плохие оценки. Ещё и учитель буквально унижал всех

[@RampinRabit]

I only started to read in my final year of primary. I went on to be a book freak. Whilst all my friends were watching cartoons after school I'd be curled up in bed reading books and ended up getting top marks in my English/Literature GCSEs

[@BP-of5cp]

Everything happens in its own time. The problem isn't when they get to learn it's if they do or if the system just gives up on them. One thing I really cannot stand is this obsession of these dictated "milestones" and if a child falls out of these timings everyone starts flapping. My eldest sister was able to read and write by the age of 3. I fell within the average and my youngest sister started talking at the age of 4 and she started reading at the age of 9. We were all raised in the same house, we all hold equally successful jobs. This nonsense is giving unnecessary anxiety to kids.

[@chantellethecool1]

4:29 i have a learning disability. When i was at primary school, i was reading well above my reading level. And im from a poor background. Parents need to get rid of smartphones. The majority of kids use smartphones but they use the speech function. They dont do anything educational. They watch basically brainrot. All this skibidi toilet needs to end. You will see the difference once smartphones are removed from the picture

[@dailydoseofeverything7141]

"All this skibidi toilet needs to end." lol, agreed. I kind of half agree, I think a large part of why everyone is so literate today is because of the internet. Think about how many books worth of text you've read over the years on social media, in comment section and on forums. Smartphones have the opportunity to help kids get in thousands of hours of practice reading, we just have to encourage them to use their phones for stuff other than brainrot..... or we could just give them books.

[@Luciry123]

I disagree completely. I don't think phones are the issues. I think its parents giving kids phones to just baby sit them. The Internet is largely text based as the previous commenter mentioned. There is also hundreds of educational resources available for kids (bbc bitesize for example) that can be accessed via a smartphone. The problem is parents not supervising children.

[@Tribuneoftheplebs]

Used to be children's content was highly regulated. Now a 20 year old can call himself Mr.Beast and pump out garbage for the masses

[@mstt3530]

Pictures and context? I used phonics, back in the early 90’s! I’m dyslexic, my mum ensured that I had a tutor. The mother needs to pay for extra help. Her daughter needs help immediately! I grew up in North London.

[@zuzannanowicka6348]

I was taught how to read by phonics. It is the basic method in my country of origin (Poand).

[@bluedragontoybash2463]

would a dyslexic be able to read Chinese character better ??

[@zuzannanowicka6348]

@@bluedragontoybash2463 actually yes

[@bluedragontoybash2463]

@@zuzannanowicka6348 你现在能读中文吗？

[@zuzannanowicka6348]

@@bluedragontoybash2463 check-point, nothing blurred, but I am not dyslectic

[@bretthagey7916]

My mom taught us to read and print before we even hit kindergarten. Pretty pathetic.

[@er.analysisfacts2998]

Its also problem of india now , its started when government created law of no punishment of students. When i was in primary school , i was able to read hindi and english two languages. But now most of children can't read properly in 9th class.

[@rajanlad]

Punishment doesn't help. My mom and teachers abused me cause I couldn't rote learn multiplication tables. Guess what. I still can't remember it. Wrt to indian schools

[@mathewadams8499]

​@@rajanlad maybe not punishment but consequence should be employed

[@coco-ongelzela]

DO NOT REDEEM

[@mamah1212]

Less focus on grooming kids with SPHE and the weird stuff. and more focus on actual education will help.

[@Jjjjhhhjjj-sd9hm]

​@@rajanlad 😂abused really don't speak like you are from America Beating child for study is common in india and its not a consider as child abuse Please don't act like you are a western person

[@Alex-xq3ze]

Phonics is key. Not all words can be spelt using phonics so you must teach sight (tricky) words. But you can’t teach how to read without using a mixture as the English language is too complex to use one method alone, although Phonics should be the basis of teaching reading.

[@ily9402]

Right honestly it's insane to me that they don't teach phonics.

[@snsn7251]

Don't just blame teachers. Parents play a part

[@vannustube]

by voting in a government that refuses to fix what is clearly broken

[@kipkipper-lg9vl]

a parent is responsible for teaching how to read, solely, you should be able to read because you mom made you

[@avayu2289]

Concerning because this is the end of western civilization. When I was a toddler in kindergarten, I was taught the multiplecation tables and haiku poetry by my aunt and family. And enjoyed reading street store signs when we went out from memory. This is the responsibility of both PARENTS and school. Parents need to prep their kids before school. Don’t blame the community when you are sending a neglected child (children) into the world!!!!!!

[@Scriptorsilentum]

my mum is a card player for fun. in the 1930s and 40s toys and games were too expensive for her family but everyone could afford a deck of cards. she is a Gandalf and Dumbledore mixed together when it comes to cribbage, 500, pinochle and even spells in euchre. these were all "counting" games. by the time she got to kindergarten she could count, add and subtract. she STILL hungers for a few good hands of crib daily.

[@tarot-karma-online]

Yes, we had books in back of car and library card. As child I did crosswords. In first class I could not write letter s properly as wanted by teacher so she called my mum in. Result was I had to write hundreds of s in her way and mum made sure I followed rules so that she did not get a second invite. Basically teacher was person of respect, slapping was already forbidden, but parents cared. My mum was full-time working with two kids, single but cooked every meal fresh and did sit beside us doing written homework to check or help us to progress and exam results.

[@Chezombie]

I don't know how any parent can be totally unaware their kid can't read, write or do basic maths, I really don't know how that's even possible. Parents really should be overseeing, and playing a big part in their kid's learning. I also partly blame kids use of smartphones as well. For example all you have to do is speak into the google search and the AI will read out the most useful result, no need to spell or read anything. I bet if you asked most kids 'when did you last read a book', most would not be able to tell you. Sad, very sad.

[@jakkuwolfinsomnia8058]

It shows how little quality time they spend with them. That would make me question their motives for having kids: money perhaps? Child support benefits maybe?

[@sophiaT-i3g]

I am a 12 year old girl and I can read I don't live in Wales I live in England. I don't think that smartphones are really the first thing to blame after teachers here. Firstly, I think we start to become shaped as readers at a very young age because young children tend to pick up things like that quickly. That being said, I think younger ages are when we learn the most things about reading and as we become older we improve on our skills. So because we are so young when we begin reading the use of technology is very different at that age then when you get to my age. A lot of parents set screen time limits and most children will be playing educational games. I think we need to turn to government and parents for this one. Just my perspective I thought some people on here might want a child's point of view

[@rabbitsonjupiter6824]

My son is 18 now, but we always read a bedtime story to him every night from when he was very young to when he was old enough to read for himself. He grew up surrounded by books as both my husband and myself love reading. We made it our mission to know exactly where his learning was up to as we were totally involved in his school life. At the end of every school day we'd ask him what he'd learned that he didn't know when he went in school in the morning. It was just a fun way to keep on track with his learning.

[@Chezombie]

@@sophiaT-i3g Sounds like you have good parents and good literacy skills!. Well done you!. You sound like a really smart kid. School is so important for you kids, as much as it might be tough sometimes, do try your very best to stick at it because your education is the key to your future. Also some kids have a reading age which is higher than their year group, so they miss out on being challenged. I think the school system should be more flexible when it comes to things like this as well. Do you agree that smartphones should be banned in schools?. I think they should be turned off during lesson time, but some kids have massive responsibilities like they are carers etc, so they should be allowed providing they do not interrupt lessons and are not used during class time.

[@Chezombie]

@@rabbitsonjupiter6824 Ahh that's great, I wish all kids had parents like you. Reading is a real joy, I don't know what I would do if I couldn't read. I am 38 years old now and I still enjoy getting engrossed in a good book. If you have a good imagination, you can bring the book to life in your mind, which I love to do!. I enjoy all kinds of books, specially those set in the past or future!.

[@hettyphilips]

I learnt to read by being given lovely kids story books, school did nothing for me.

[@rridderbusch518]

I learned to read before starting school. My parents never tried to teach me. How hard is it to see a *STOP* sign and not put 2+2 together?

[@jj-gk6rj]

​@@rridderbusch518I always say it - education starts at home!

[@rridderbusch518]

@@jj-gk6rj Only sometimes,JJ. I was unwanted and ignored. Also, some parents are truly dumb. I guess I got a few good genes and passed those on. My daughter got a Ph.D. in Human Genetics. There are so many factors, but social media is a large part of the problem.

[@AlexIncarnate911]

@@rridderbusch518bulls! It’s incredibly difficult to match sounds and abstract signs without prior instruction and downright impossible without knowing which language these signs are representing. I’m sure you might have been able to decipher more obvious words through semiotic or pictorial associations but this can only get you so far without explicit instruction.

[@rridderbusch518]

@@AlexIncarnate911 🤣🤪

[@dekyne3227]

This is something that I expect in the US what is Wales doing wrong?

[@mariesimpson7613]

Left wing politicians.

[@theeternalgus9119]

Their sheep

[@Levittchen4G]

Neoliberalism deliberately underfunding and sabotaging the public school system to replace it with private schools. It was clear this would happen. Will happen to the NHK too bit by bit. They where f***ed the moment they did Brexit. now they're under the boot of deregulation.

[@kimberlyturner820]

😂

[@SK-lt1so]

No private business could perform as badly as public education and survive.

[@Levittchen4G]

Public education in neoliberalism is deliberately underfunded and sabotaged so that private businesses will replace them. It was clear this would happen in the UK. Look at public schools in austria where neoliberalism is way less pronounced. They don't have that problem.

[@RamonMarais-k2k]

Dont know how teaching got this way, something went badly wrong. I finished school 1986. Back then you learned to read, write and do basic maths in primary school. Once you can read, you can learn. Once you can write, you can convay what you learned. Basic maths every body uses. As you can see, I never learnt to spell, but that was me being lazy.

[@LauraKnotek]

I started reading before kindergarten. However, my parents took me to the library every week, read to me, and signed me up for library children's programmes. I credit my parents for my lifelong love of reading.

[@waji78611]

Actually using the pictures to tell an oral story by the child is creative .. yes it shouldnt help to read difficult words as this can cause confusion.. like it says .. but using pictures is NOT old fashioned .. i hope schools really tackle this! Very worrying ! We need love of books .. love of reading .. phonics .. and seeing reading as a whole process

[@shiina29]

The same thing is happening in America. Same method, same horrible results.

[@Escherlife]

Phonics isn’t new. It’s the method I used 30 years ago when I taught my child to read before she started school. Why aren’t the parents onto this problem and taking more responsibility?

[@dehn6581]

Well, the parent in the video tried, asked the school for help, and was given poor advice. The teachers that are blaming the government and apparently haven't had any professional development or curiosity in reading skills need to take more responsibility.

[@Loveleione]

My oldest is 44 and I used phonics to teach him and each of his brothers in turn to read. I live in Northern Virginia and there were always some "odd" methods the schools planned to use. I remember one was called sight reading. Spelling wasn't considered necessary. That horrified me! 🤦🏽‍♀ I attended Catholic schools and was always a very good reader. To me, phonics is the best foundation for a future good reader.

[@trojanhorse6029]

@@dehn6581 That is if you believe her. Her daughter is 11 years old and has a reading age of 4. The alarm bells should have been ringing years ago. What about her classmates? So, the mum did nothing because she was told to do nothing? How convenient.

[@KrisHughes]

If the teachers can't see that the method they're using isn't working, and they aren't trying something different, then there is a real failure at the level of teacher training. Teachers should be taught not only to spout a given curriculum, of just follow a workbook. They should be taught to evaluate whether what they're doing is working as they go along. It's absolutely crazy to say, "The teachers don't know this approach doesn't work." Obviously, the administrators and the department of education is hugely at fault, too, but teaching is supposed to be a highly skilled profession.

[@S.RMarigold]

Not the teachers but the methods being forced on teachers. It’s why I left education. I was embarrassed at what I was allowed to teach.

[@modo2213]

Please stop blaming parents. This isn't about mistakes by individual people. The system is wrong and the system is failing children. A better system will give better results to all children including those whose parents don't have time or don't care. Schools have the responsibly to teach all children, we can't just hope that parents fill the gaps. Sometimes parents can't, sometimes they don't want to. ALL children deserve an education.

[@jgdooley2003]

A huge problem among less academically able people is the respect or lack of respect some people have for the education system and teachers in their society. In the past many Irish people endured a harsh and cruel education system which emotionally scarred them for life. This left many adults illiterate as they were told by rogue teachers they would never amount to anything and they were at fault. This coloured many parents view of education and learning and teachers and made them alienated from the education process, a prejudice they have passed onto their children. While the modern education system seeks to develop and educate as many people to an acceptable standard as possible it often falls down on relying on parents and home too much. This is a middle class approach which fails when it takes place in the context of a chaotic and dysfunctional home life on the part of the children. Assumptions are often made regarding the willingness and competence of parents to assist in the educational process. People differ and children will often develop at different rates and reach milestones at different times in their lives. This needs to be taken into account in any educational system.

[@ninjabrown8560]

But parents should fill in the gap?! How can you say sometimes parents don't want to? A teacher is not the child's primary caregiver, the parents are. Don't have a child if you don't care about whether the child can read or not, that's the main issue. ALL children deserve parents that actually care about their wellbeing and futures, and will help them anyway they can.

[@nancyroberts8749]

@@ninjabrown8560 This problem has been happening for a VERY long time. Most parents trust the system enough, and their child's teacher enough to use the same broken method to try to help their child as the teacher and school recommends. Few know how to teach phonics since they were taught the same stupid way as their children are being taught now.

[@mo-sy9ws]

My child came home absolutely exhausted from school each day, even knowing she couldn't pick up what she should've that day and caring very much couldn't help her. Being willing and able to sit with your child in the evenings isn't the answer. I know, I was there with a very good, well behaved child. You cannot redo a day's worth of learning with an exhausted child. After changing schools to private didn't help we made the decision to home educate. I'm convinced that had she stayed in school she'd still not be able to read or write today. If you have a naturally shy and quiet child this can happen. Parents are often aware and quite panicked but told to just keep sending to school and do as much as possible after school. If a child isn't learning where they're supposed to, something is wrong with that place, be it method, management or teachers. Don't blame the parents and the children.

[@dehn6581]

@@ninjabrown8560 The parent in the video cared enough to ask the school for help, and the school dismissed her and told her to just keep reading to the child.

[@unanemomanou7939]

I’m a 61 year-old Frenchwoman. I learned reading using the phonics method. By age 5, I could read fluently and even turned my books upside down while keeping on reading to make my parents laugh. My nephews and my children were taught reading using that dreadful « modern » method which consists in « guessing « words. I put my foot down and taught them the old way. My children became fluent readers, too. I teach in a secondary school and in further education, too, and I am appalled at the difficulties many students meet when reading. Deciphering the words one by one stops them understanding the overall message. This is so sad. Some of them are acutely aware of their difficulties and feel humiliated when asked to read in class.

[@hettyphilips]

The parents need to take control.

[@modo2213]

Why would that be an improvement? What happens to children whose parents are uneducated? It's the reasonability of schools to teach ALL children.

[@susivarga7303]

The ones who only show up to drop off the kids and don't respond to communication from the teachers? Sure....

[@أفلاكالأفكار]

@@modo2213 At the end of the day, nobody is going to care about your children more than you. If a person really cares about their kids, they will make it happen one way or another, even if they are uneducated. Ben Carson's mom was a semi-literate single mother living in the ghetto, and yet she pushed and pushed and pushed her child until he became one of the greatest neurosurgeons in the world because she actually cared for her kids. More parents need to be called out for not actually caring about their kids

[@modo2213]

@@أفلاكالأفكار unfortunately not all children have parents like that. Some parents, shockingly, really don't care very much. It's fantasy thinking to pretend that all parents care a lot. Schools cannot replace the care of good parents but it is their responsibility to ensure all children get an education. It's something that, as a society, we can give you those children who don't get that support at home. When schools don't meet children's needs it's the children without that other support that get left behind.

[@lo6291]

My goodness, this is so sad. I grew up in South Africa and we learned to read through decoding sounds, phonics were quite emphasised. We also had some events organised by class teachers or the school where the teacher will randomly pick anyone to read and another one to summarise and tell in short what the other kid just read. They would ask us to find meaning in the story, we did a lot of stories that always had a moral lesson. Reading was taught as an important skill not something you do just to pass a test. And we definitely didn't rely on pictures to learn words. Because of our culture that is very rich in storytelling, we also had to make up stories or retell a story based on folklore, myths or whatever. These were rich with lessons in human nature, behavioural aspects of animals, our world and nature in general. We had to do this for at least 2 or 3 languages. And this was Bantu education, which wasn't top brass education. Today, i think we have allowed a lot of consultants to interfere with education in order to sell schools their programmes, software and teacher training workshops, etc. We are failing our children.

[@stephenwright4973]

"Outdated" methods?? What does that mean? The methods used to work, but don't anymore?? Sounds like there's more going on than just "teaching methods".

[@claesvanoldenphatt9972]

I was reading at 10th grade level in the 4th grade, yet the work they assigned me was still boring and made my eyes glaze over. It didn’t matter, reading was natural to me from early youth. I read Poe and Dante (Ciardi’s transl) at age 9. I was smarter than the teachers and some of them were just bad teachers. I knew a young lady whose parents were teachers. She was one of the least informed and uneducated people I ever knew. She said they had no books in their home. People that go into teaching and administrating schools are often absolutely unqualified.

[@Summerhouse-z7n]

It's hard to believe that it could have got so bad. These poor kids have been badly let down . There always seems to be someone trying to reinvent the wheel. I remember hearing years ago that phonics had gone out of favour and I couldn't understand why. I learnt to read this way back in the early 70s and pretty much most of my classmates had reading ages above our actual ages thanks to phonics.

[@MechanicSilo]

I'm so proud of this journalist for using the word "systemic" correctly, especially in the UK

[@proudatheist2042]

Former reading remediation and special education teacher here. Even before I earned my teaching degree, the foolish "look at the picture" method never made sense to me.

[@davidlloyd1526]

Felt sorry for kid, then I saw the mother and it all made sense... The teachers are just one part of a child's development.

[@annaisiomaful]

Where are the parents?

[@cerulyse]

Umm parents are not necessarily teachers they are more likely working their asses off for minimum wage dead end jobs

[@jj-gk6rj]

​@@cerulyseregardless of that, it is at least partially the parents job. Education starts at home. If you expect the school or society to teach your kid everything, you are setting them up to fail. If you don't have the abilities yourself to teach them certain things then either work on yourself or have the guts to admit that before procreating and blaming everyone else for issues you helped to create!

[@lindyashford7744]

@@jj-gk6rjthis is not the parents fault. Their children are being taught by a discredited method which only causes confusion. Most parents will not understand this is happening, but maybe they themselves were taught with another system. However this could confuse the child even more. I suggest that anyone with a child finding things hard to grasp read nightly to their child from a book with no pictures and to underline each word with their fingertip while encouraging the child to look. Start with something simple and loved, preferably something the child already know the words to. In many cases the child will learn by the shape of the word and bypass the spelling things out process which can be confusing. This is only for children struggling to read, because the methods has failed them. It took a while but my son clicked at the age of 8, where everything tried by the school seemed to bypass him. This is because he was and still is quite severely dyslexic. But he can read and it opened a whole new world of learning to him and he became no longer functionally illiterate. So much so that at 13 on testing his verbal comprehension was off the scale, a visiting Ed. Psych. Tested him to the limit of all testing, ending at age 31, with hundreds of words. Not being able to read can be a very real hindrance, these days writing less so. Once aware of problems then parents can set about doing something about it, if they have the right advice. Some of the reading methods pushed over the years have been very disadvantaging, standard alphabetic teaching can also be as bad. Children have different styles of learning need, it’s about tapping into the method that works.

[@modo2213]

You shouldn't be surprised that parents expect their children to get taught to read at school.

[@dehn6581]

@@jj-gk6rj The parent in the video asked for help from the school, who gave her terrible advice to just 'keep reading and it'll click'.

[@ajourney50]

My mom had to help me learn. She would give me a book to read and the words I didn't know I wrote down on a piece of paper, and when she got home from work she would help me sound them out. This was back in the late 70's and early 80's in Canada.

[@rainynight02]

I'm in the States. My 6 year old was taught "sight words" in kindergarten. Wasn't doing much. Moment I switched to doing phonics on our own, he began improving. In 6 months he's gone from knowing practically no words to he can read every word in his small print out books. He still has trouble with some but he's improved drastically. He's still behind but we're going to catch him up. Even if I'm the only one working on it.

[@johnnygoodman2003]

Teaching is a profession. Teachers have skills taught in teachers college that consider a child's ability to consume and retain knowledge. Parents think they have this skill because most think they have "common knowledge". But Parents don't have teaching skills. The other problem is that people have 9 intelligence types. Triggering all 9 types improves learning for a child exponentially. Parents almost always resist different teaching methods, insisting that " teachers stick to the 3 Rs"

[@rainynight02]

@@johnnygoodman2003 Right. I'm wrong for working with my child to help him and should never do anything myself and leave it to the "experts." Even though what they said to do wasn't working. No. My child needed help. What was being done wasn't helping. When I helped, he improved. If what I did didn't help then I would go with a third party to help him. Didn't need to go that far. Quite simply, I did what a parent should. Yet I'm somehow in the wrong by your comment. It is a parents job to raise their child. Not the states. You're delusional thinking I'm wrong to help my own child.

[@07ikkin]

​@@rainynight02 you did it right Mom, kudos to you 👏

[@rainynight02]

@@07ikkin Thanks, though I'm the dad.

[@07ikkin]

@@rainynight02 kudos Dad 😄

[@brieb4317]

I teach kindergarten in and use Montessori methods for reading. We have kids who can read at 4 and conversation very well!

[@Draw2quit]

My daughter mispronounces her vowels when I read with her due to the exclusively welsh pronunciation she learns in school. For example, she'll say the I in the word hit as EE. She'll pronounce the word bun as bin. And don't get me started on the letter Y. She's getting there with our help but it must be really confusing for her. Where I live, primary schools are welsh only. Great for proliferating the language, not great if you want a high standard of reading in English when they get to secondary school.

[@jj-gk6rj]

This is your issue, not your daughter's or the schools. You are English I presume? Welsh language is not and has never been the issue or even a factor in this. Perhaps you too are a lazy parent.🙄

[@apebass2215]

This is the problem I'm discovering now my child is reaching school-age in Ceredigion. There aren't any local schools that teach in English.

[@annekatrivedi4448]

My boy did this and it caused spelling issues, we live in New Zealand and pronounce our vowels differently too, some people the difference is stronger than others, we got him some extra tutoring and went over it at home daily and he got it.

[@LazarusWilhelm]

This is the bit you're not allowed to say.

[@christopherdean1326]

When I started school, over half a century ago, I know I could read fairly well before I even got there. A few years of practice and I had got to the point where there was nothing more to teach me about the skill, as I was perfectly capable of working out how to pronounce new words, and using a dictionary to find out what they meant. Yes, there were plenty of kids in my class who weren't as advanced as me and some other classmates, but everybody could read to an average extent. By the time I got to secondary school, being able to read was taken as a given, it was only a question of what any individual preferred to read, but we ALL read. This is not just a failure of schools, it is a failure of parents. The trouble is, we have now had generations of kids who were not encouraged to read, and they are now parents and even grandparents.

[@roycropperthetopshottamore2666]

This is also a parent issue too 100 percent! If my child is falling behind because the school is lacking then I should be teaching them as well to make sure they’re illiterate atleast.

[@druelia9485]

I grew up in the 90s,in a family that had a LOT of learning disabilities as well as just a lack of formal education. But they all were determined to make sure I wouldn't be among their numbers. My family would all read books to me every single day when I was a baby, until I was school age. But the time I was 5, i was able to read children's books entirely on my own. Not only that, but this instilled a deep love of reading in me that continues to this very day. When I see stories like this one, I'm just so grateful for my own ability to read. I can't imagine what the world would be like if I couldn't read. I can't imagine what I would be like....

[@ochervelvet9687]

Here in the States there was a reading philosophy called whole language that took hold and was adopted by nearly the entire country. Phonics was vilified and dropped from most curriculums. Whole language failed miserably, and in most school districts they now use a combination of whole language and phonics. There were so many problems with whole language, not least the belief that humans are hardwired for reading the same way we are hardwired for spoken language. Brain research proved that is absolutely wrong. We do not naturally learn to read by getting meaning from context and guessing what an unfamiliar word might be. It is my personal belief that the first and most import thing a parent can do for a child’s reading success is to read to the child from babyhood on-often. That way the child associates reading with pleasure (instead of a chore). And the second thing is to teach a child simple phonics-how to sound out words. When a child knows that wonderful stories are contained in printed words, and has the basic tools to figure out those words for himself/herself, then the child is motivated to read on their own. And the third thing parents can do is provide a reading-rich environment at home. Books, magazines, comic books, anything to whet the child’s interests. Fun, interesting reading material that appeals to the child will encourage a child to read on their own, without being told to. And that is the way to nurture a life-long reader.

[@DonaldPeterLambe]

Very well put. The teaching of phonics is essential in the early stages of literacy. It's a vital tool that needs to be included with exposure to natural written language. The American neurolinguist, Maryanne Wolf, has published several excellent books on this topic ("Proust and the Squid" and "Reader Come Home"). I recommend these two books to any parent or educator seriously interested in raising literacy levels in children. Wolf also eloquently reinforces your point about the importance of human face to face contact between parent/teacher and children in learning to read.

[@Loveleione]

I remember that with one of my sons and thought it sounded like a very bad idea. I taught my sons phonics at home. And I have three very good readers as adults. Sight words was another idea that I refused to get on board with. I just didn't see how not emphasizing good spelling would benefit my guys.

[@KCH55]

Okay so this is an issue that isn't just in the US I see. Phonics is great. It's not perfect. There are limits. For instance, it doesn't always work to sound out words because some things are not spelled/spelt the way that they are sound. But it does help for most words. I think another problem is that kids don't read as much as they used to. This is why I say the first years of schooling primary/elementary the only homework that should be required is that children read every single day. Since I'm American I'm going to use American grade system. I put it at the very least third grade read and writing, This would mean most would start in their fourth grade about 9 yrs old children need to obtain before they can independently do homework. If they're in the picture book stage they need to read a book a day. If they're reading a chapter book then they need to read several chapters. A minimum of 500 words a day for a chapter book. Phonics is great but you still have to practice and I feel like young people are not encouraged to practice daily. The same thing with writing children should be writing on a daily basis. They should be couraged to journal daily. There's a phrase practice makes perfect. And no cheating with audiobooks or typing on keyboards. Children should also do small reading groups. You can set it up like a book club. Children should be encouraged to read two to three times a week out loud. As this will help build their confidence in reading in the classroom and help their speech. ( When I was in school I had to take classes for those who have learning issues and we would read out loud everyday, and I get compliments all the time by how I talk. That's because I read all the time out loud.) If children do not feel confident, I recommend them reading to their toys or to their pets. And practice reading with their parents. I also noticed that handwriting has gone to poop and I cannot think that this is not a reflection of why our literacy is impacted. A lot of American schools I can say have gotten rid of the need for cursive. But when I was a child cursive we would write things in print and in cursive. So when we would get our spelling words we had to write it twice. When we would write papers we had to write it twice and print and in cursive.

[@Dqtube]

How is it not the teachers fault if the teacher is unable to recognize that the child cannot read ? Isn't this their main purpose, to teach the children some skills and examine whether the children are able to use those skills ?

[@bacul165]

Not sure how it works in the uk but in my country, we teachers have to follow a certain curriculum including the methods, like "don't use phonetics". If that goes wrong, admin will tell you to not give bad grades (because parents will complain and politics get involved), so you make tests easier and/or train specifically for the test, not the actual skill. I bet contrary to the report teachers DO know better but are not allowed to act differently.

[@Dqtube]

@@bacul165 That's sad. How to figure out what's behind it with this approach ? If there is some socioeconomic problem in the family or e.g. dyslexia ? I'm not from the UK. In our system, if a child is struggling, is eligible for further professional help from a logopedist. If the child is diagnosed with any of the conditions. He or she should have access to a pedagogic assistant to help in other subjects so that he or she does not fall behind the rest of the class. This is how it should work in theory, unfortunately in some regions there is a shortage of personnel, so not every child gets the same level of help.

[@warpedweft9004]

How much effort have the parents put in? My 3 year old grandson can read at an 8-9 year old level, because we put in the time when he showed interest. Disinterested, unsupportive parents are just as much to blame.

[@kingpetra6886]

People have been reading for thousands of years. How can a reading teaching method be out dated?

[@dehn6581]

Because the method was a trend decades back that spread because it appears to work well in early years, but fails in the long run to develop literacy skills. These trends come in and out of education as people think there must be a better way than the basics like phonics.

[@kingpetra6886]

@@dehn6581 Good answer to a question that was largely rhetorical. Now we can mock out favorite functionally group: is this how Ebonics came about? This is not far fetched. In some Celtic areas like Wales, Welsh had been pushed over English even though the younger people pursue English over Welsh especially if they want to go to England to make "the big money". Even more ironic, is the fact in order to obey the Protestant dictum that the Bible be written in the vulgar language, the English actually had the Bible translated into a Welsh version.

[@susannah1066]

Because it's been shown not to work. Back in the 60's-people learned to read phonetically-the best way.

[@SamsungJ-xk9pt]

Outdated teaching methods??? Nope it's crappy teachers

[@RDCFemmes]

in a first world country, children are going to schhool and cannot read????? how can you be a teacher and not see that your pupils are not progressing and blame the government????

[@SheilaNixon-w8k]

It IS the Ministry of Education's fault -- as teachers are not allowed to use the shills they were taught in Teacher Training anymore . The Primary School Syllabus is changed every year as a new method , which has just been invented/discovered is introduced . For example Tables are not to be taught , and there are to be no Tables TEsts ""as some children do not like them "" My daughter uses the Tables Clock Method ., which I made up The children have a narrow book with 24 lines per page .They also have a Tables Book in their desks which the y can look up . Whilst she is doing the Register the children write down 9x2, 6x2, 11x 2 , 1x 2 , 5 x2. It takes about 3 weeks for all the children to learn each Table , and she gives them a lollipop when they can say the whole of say the 2 times table to her. This is not a test -- It is a method of teaching the Tables gradually . After the Tables Practice she clhildren go to Assembly , and hand in their books to her as they go out of the door. She hides the tables books in her shopping bag as this method should not be used (but it works )

[@mannaporanna2678]

Because many of them are not qualified enough so it's easy for them to blame the system. In other countries they wouldn't be allowed anywhere near school kids without proper qualifications

[@lindafarnes486]

My sister had some problems, but turned out they just needed the right kind of books. Electronics might not be helpful, kids don't need to exercise their imaginations, or patience. It's all instant gratification. It would be quite difficult to transition to a media where they have to do the work so to speak. Then there is that visual problem, dislexia.

[@1860mc]

If you work out that almost 14,000 hours are spent in education from 5-16, then i find it beyond belief that there are swathes of children leaving the education system so poorly educated. What are these children doing at school?

[@dehn6581]

Being spoonfed to tick boxes.

[@crystalsirois9806]

Illiteracy is crippling.

[@xx-wp3mq]

I'm sorry, not the fault of teachers? That's like a history teacher saying they don't understand the need to examine sources. Teachers should know better, the courses/degrees they took should say this stuff week one.

[@edj4833]

But individual teachers have to follow systems set out for them by higher authorities, whether they like them or not.

[@cee-emm]

I was shocked he said that too. As if teachers are just completely unaware that their methods are not working at all, and haven't ever worked well.

[@OpenDoorEnglish]

When parents don't bother to read with their kids.

[@lindaajide2115]

Lazy parents, dropping your child off at school is not where education ends.

[@AbsSh4]

I agree. My wife and I taught our son most things at home (including reading, writing, maths, science) and so by the age of 3 he had a good academic foundation. My parents did the same with me. The only thing to expect from a school are socialisation skills and revision (because the core teaching takes place at home). People in the comments who blame the government or schools need to be quiet.

[@benu_bird]

@@AbsSh4 You taught your 3 year old "reading, writing, maths, science"? I can't stop laughing reading that.

[@AbsSh4]

@@benu_bird Whilst I appreciate you found it amusing, you clearly do not realise that well respected prep schools have intensive assessments and exams for 3 year olds. With the intense competition for places, one needs to be well prepared.

[@benu_bird]

@@AbsSh4 Instilling intense competition in 3 year olds is disgusting. If you feel the need to perpetuate that system, maybe look at yourself. I don't think any school that does that is worthy of respect. Not knowing how to read by age 12 is horrible. So is what you are proposing. Not amusing at all.

[@katepausig8562]

@@AbsSh4 your poor kid her mental health probably on a decline.

[@nigelbarton8350]

What complete nonsense, poor kid. Although I do blame parents as well, it should be a joint effort. My parents both spent time teaching me to read from well before school age and when I started primary I could be left alone with a book to read it. We then took care to do the same with our daughter. Too many parents these days just leave it to the school to sort out which is not putting their child’s interest first by any means.

[@wild_insomnia]

what the heck was that punk mother doing when Poppy was 6 or 7 years old ? How could she overlook that ? Come on !

[@crypton_8l87]

It's probably an affectation. Kids love to adopt this kind of contagion from their friends

[@realnoahsimpson]

wow the word shocking is overused…but this is truly shocking

[@RenegadeContext]

If you're using pictures for context you're lost without the pictures. How has this been allowed? I'm shocked

[@apemoon1731]

How can they blame 'outdated teaching methods'? Those methods have worked for generations, why have they suddenly stopped working now?

[@SheilaNixon-w8k]

Most Primary School Teachers were taught , the correct way to teach and then got on with doing the job properly . About 1998, when I was nearing Retirement , The National Curriculum came in . What the teachers were to teach, and on which date it was to be delivered , became mandatory , and teachers were not allowed to used their skills any more . New schemes are introduced every year to make a name and reputations for people who have gained Masters Degrees, PhDs , in some aspect of education . Having taught for 42 years I was required to attend a course with all the teachers in my Primary School on how to teach Reading, which this lady had " invented " published her PhD,, and been paid for !! (I was Head of Special Needs ) The lecturer was 28 , had a PhD, and had taught for 4 years before being promoted out of the classroom ! For the first time in my career , I got really angry , and at Question time I started questionig her , Several other experienced teachers joined in , and it was clear she had had little practical experience at teaching Reading at all In the end , she was made to look very foolish , and ran out of the room. What is ruining teaching is over -administration, people developing new theories and teachers being ""forced "" to put these untried methods into practise Teachers are being treated as idiots who have to be told what to do by experts and theorists who have been ""promoted "" out of the classroom , or rather who have done Masters Degrees ton further their careers , often because they cannot teach. It is the same in the Health Service . Too many managers , who are being paid more than Doctors . My Doctor daughter has administers trying to tell her what to prescribe for particular conditions . What the Admin people do not realise is that people of differing heights and weights need differing sizes of tablets . This is just one small example of people she has to deal with every day Both teaching and Medicine are bowed down with managers telling them what to do , and demanding very detailed record keeping for the managers to read to make sure that teachers and doctors are doing their jobs properly. The only way to put things right is to cut the percentage of money being spent on admin. not just in schools and hospitals , but particularly in the Departments of Education and Health, where there are thousands of people in non jobs , or ""working at home "" waiting for new jobs to become available . My Grand daughter is doing a 4 year Degree at Exeter University in ""How to be a Manager "" It is the best career choice ever !

[@dehn6581]

Context reading described in the video hasn't been around that long. Phonics has and was the standard teaching method for centuries. Starting in the mid-50s, trends for context reading, whole word, and others started to develop and spread - they tend to work quickly for the tricky words at first that encouraged the trend, but they fail for long term literacy. Thankfully they didn't spread everywhere and most places moved back ages ago. Blaming methods that were debunked ages ago shows real cracks in the system.

[@masteryoda129]

not getting education properly is the worst.

[@blaqueruby4946]

Parents are to blame... Children should know how to read before they go to school... No excuse, either take the child to a library or buy them a book and make them read to you every day. They will get used to the words. It will become second nature.

[@LuciThomasHardylover-qx6ts]

You read to them. TVs and screens have no place in a child's bedroom. I really miss having small children to snuggle down and read stories with every night, what a perfect end to everyone's day 🥰 when we have shown how pleasurable reading is,read the same favourites over and over again, wanting to read for themselves is as natural as taking the spoon from your hand when feeding them..some sooner, some later, but they want to read! Then we show them the letters and the sounds. It's a joy teaching reading,I really don't understand why some people make it so complicated and expensive!

[@tiffanyrose4262]

Parents nowadays would rather have their children glued to their tablets

[@eoin.o.fiannachta]

This whole report states that the cueing system of learning to read - learning words through pictures and context or letting them “click” - doesn’t work. Having children just pick up a book and try and figure it out before they’re literate is what got the children of Wales into the problem they’re in now. This isn’t the fault of the students, teachers, or parents, this is the fault of education boards not explicitly making phonics the standard in Welsh schools. If parents teach kids phonics at home that’s great, but parents shouldn’t be blamed for not being aware that most schools are not implementing the right lessons for their children.

[@benu_bird]

So all parents need to teach children by the age of 5 how to read? You don't learn how to read by being taken to the library or owning a book. You don't "get used to the words." Did you listen to the report? The problem is the teaching method.

[@blaqueruby4946]

@benu_bird With over a decade of teaching experience, I can certainly tell you that a child should know how to read BEFORE they start school. There will be a few such as this child that has real difficulties... You’re one of those people, believe everything the ‘news’ tells you, without critically analysing it... They’ve taken 1 child with severe needs, taken one aspect stating a teaching method, put them together and made a report, and fools believe it... If a child is dumb, look at their parent...

[@MAGICALWOLVESSs]

Education had never been good. I knew something was wrong and I’m talking about schools here in east London. There was never a good system for all students. Primary schools was the worst where I had teachers who didn’t know how to talk to children except she would shout for no reason. These teachers are cruel and shouldn’t be in school ever. Kids don’t learn a thing by being shouted at for no reason.

[@RendererEP]

If you raise a child whilst teaching them two languages at a time, it is likely it will take longer for many of them to be able to read write and spell properly. This happened to my friend who was raised with English Arabic and French. Could this be the case with Welsh children?

[@post_human_luden]

probably, someone I was in college with went to welsh schools for primary and secondary struggled to spell some words despite also having forgotten all the welsh. Maybe they need to teach basic english such as reading starting from reception/year 1 instead of year 3/4 as is allowed currently. The problem is likely compounded by welsh being a very phonetically written language as well so you basically only need to learn the alphabet and then you can read most welsh words

[@byblispersephone2.094]

They're not taught in both English and Welsh. They're taught in English, with Welsh as an additional language rather than a secondary medium.

[@chrisoneill3999]

Is the problem worse or better in other bilingual countries (Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg ....)? I'm guessing that you are a hemiglot.

[@_Blu-jay]

I think, unless enrolled in a welsh speaking school, children aren't really introduced to Welsh until junior years of primary school. During primary school, they tend to just use keyword or phrases in welsh like 'sit down' or 'quiet'

[@jj-gk6rj]

Absolutely not the issue. I am Welsh and this particular case is just plain lazy parenting, expecting the school and society to do their job. No input or interest in their own child's development. Being raised bilingually in Wales is an asset and not a hinderance to learning.

[@TJsAbsoluteBasicSocialSkills]

They tried "whole language" in New York in the 1990s. It was a disaster. I heard that they have since moved back to phonics.

[@dion789]

I understand that those teachers aren't aware of scientific research conclusions on the method. But surely they notice that the way they teach doesn't help children to read? Do they just plough on without getting any results?

[@karenm2669]

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@aubreynicolebanares1356]

My mother fed me more books than snacks. I developed a love for reading. From what I know, i learned to read at an early age. My niece learned at 3. Parenting makes a whole lot of difference in the early stages of development. One shouldn’t be quick to blame the educational system and tools, look into the homes too. Coz it is my personal belief that if a parent is invested in their child’s education, children learn quickly. This epidemic of children illiteracy is a problem in modern-day parenting as well. Or in special cases like learning disability, at least they are detected and mediated early. Most parents nowadays think that it is the schools’ and the teacher’s responsibility to teach their kids. That they have no part in it🤷‍♀️ and even if they know, they want no part in it. Abdication of parental responsibility is the root of most our problems these days.

[@patrickirish8091]

I spent a summer catching up on reading with a english tutor. It was essential for me for secondary school due to dyslexia-

[@christophkuropkaGR]

Why is it that "methods" that once were able to teach pupils how to read and write are not able to do this anymore? Isn´t there obviously something else that is missing? Like reading in their everyday life for example? When are we also going so hold education at home accountable?

[@JasmineSurrealVideos]

That is insane, and just further proof of declining standards, tech overload at an early age, etc. I started reading about 3 years old, myself, just picked up one of my storybooks, apparently, and started reading out aloud. I was the only pupil who went to my primary school who could read and write on enrollment. But ALL pupils in my class could read within the first year of school. I dread to think what kids will be like in 20 years time. Probably brain dead blobs 😂

[@rridderbusch518]

Same here with reading at 3 for me. But I'm old. No social media back then.

[@LuciThomasHardylover-qx6ts]

This is it! If we don't read to our children,make it a pleasurable activity why would they want to? If it's left to the school it's just another chore. And screens just spoon feed pap,so why bother. I read a recent report about children starting school not even knowing how to 'use' a book! Trying to run their finger over the page instead of turning it! I didn't know whether to believe it or not until one of my teenagers laughed and said they'd seen adults doing that 🤦

[@Sam-mg7gm]

Not all countries teach kids to read at age 5. This is only the standard in English-speaking countries. Many wait until 6 or 7 to ensure every child is developmentally ready. Finland seem to be doing perfectly fine with their kids. My partner learnt at age 7. He has two Masters degrees and he’s working on his PhD. In fact, I believe part of the problem is pushing children before they have the phonological foundations for reading and then they’re left behind while the whole-class content gets harder and harder. Why not just wait until 6? Earlier is not necessarily better. It may have worked for you but not for every kid. Exposure to iPads and other digital devices at an early age is another issue entirely and very concerning.

[@shelleyfry]

I was taught by my parents using phonics - or common sense as I like to think of it. I started school at five being able to read. I can’t remember a time when I was unable to read. But I can remember using phonics, sounding out parts of words, reading on my own as a little one and the joy of figuring out a new word. Not that I knew what it was called. And of course my working class parents were told off when I started school because they would have “damaged” my ability to learn by teaching me to read. I’m so grateful they ignored those messages. My heart goes out to the children, families and communities that have to live with and attempt to undo generations of educational experimentation.

[@jazzywinter8634]

Dyslexia also so common and so undiagnosed.

[@SieMiezekatze]

Dyslexia is a english language disease , so not common around the world

[@lindyashford7744]

@@SieMiezekatzethis is not true.

[@ahmetsalsahin]

@@SieMiezekatze As a psychological counsellor in Turkey, you are mistaken. Dyslexia is a problem related to the reading department of the brain regardless of Turkish or English.

[@svetlanasath7792]

​@@SieMiezekatze then why do they talk about dyslexia in other countries (not just English-speaking)?

[@redefiningmyself8598]

It is also possible that this young one could have a learning disability AND her schools curriculum sucks.

[@lewis123417]

Welsh labour has ruined wales, devolution has been a disaster

[@AbramDeGuzman]

I struggled to read and when I was in Year 8, my reading age is 9 and I thought something is definitely wrong with me. Everything changed at the end of Year 9 as just months before my 14th birthday, my reading age is 14. I finished school barely passing my English Language GCSE, now in University doing my 3rd year of studies.

[@angeldelight]

More like parents are to stuck into worrying about how they look and posting on social media. Nothing to do with the school

[@dehn6581]

The parent in the video asked the school for help and was told to just keep reading at home, it'll click, which was poor advice. Schools still teaching context reading rather than returning to teaching phonics is 100% the school.

[@PaulSmith-i3v]

Looks like Richard the Second's law making it illegal to sell ink to the Welsh in case they wrote anything rude about him may have been unnecessary.

[@TheAshCooper]

I learned with phonics in the 90s. So why aren't Wales doing it now?

[@OI-rs1bf]

Considering how hard it is to read Welch signs for cities and other locations due to the difficulty of the language, i can’t imagine not being able to sound out word. They did these kids a great disservice.

[@antbrown9066]

Parents and teachers.

[@deadby15]

i think there are other factors that hinder the kids from learning to read, 'cause in the past schools were using even more ineffectual teaching methods, but most could learn how to read anyway.