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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd
@damsoned.bsky.social
540 followers 360 following 1.5K posts
Dr Megan Dixon: teacher, leader and researcher. PhD, Psychology. All things education and research - literacy, English, research into practice, curriculum, SEND. TES columnist. Based in the UK. Often in school, reading. https://meganjanedixon.co.uk
meganjanedixon.co.uk
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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · May 8
On the back of this article- a thread of useful places for schools/teachers who are interested in finding out more… as I say, this has been a serious issue for a long time… it would be powerful to get a serious handle on it (with obvious impact on ed outcomes).

www.tes.com/magazine/ana...
What schools are doing to tackle the speech and language ‘crisis’
The number of children with speech and language challenges is soaring. And not all of these pupils have SEND. Experts tell Ellen Peirson-Hagger how in-school intervention is possible - and highly effe...
www.tes.com
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janetsouthcoast.bsky.social
Janet @janetsouthcoast.bsky.social · 8h
Snuffing out the joy, reducing progress as there is no pleasure, no entry into the worlds that stories can provide. Those with more privilege will get that joy elsewhere.
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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 9h
Agreed. It is a social and cultural act. It is central to how society is constructed and navigated. It is one of the most powerful forms of exclusion from society.

It makes me mad that it is used as an ideological and political football.

Our children deserve better. Everyone deserves better
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stephenh.bsky.social
Steve @stephenh.bsky.social · 10h
Teaching Reading is also about bringing kids to understand there is a value in being able to read. It’s about realising that funny stories, crazy poems and journeys of imagination and fantasy are contained in books. If all they experience is the chore of chanting at letters, that value is not there
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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 11h
I think the term “knowledge-rich” was pushed in later as core-knowledge curricula was published in the UK.

I find it similar to the “cogsci” movement- where language is used to exclude,
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myf1990.bsky.social
Myfanwy Edwards @myf1990.bsky.social · 13h
I think it’s a shame there isn’t also a critical look at what that has ended up actually meaning- often knowledge stripped back, artificially sequenced, restricted knowledge and also poorly received by several disciplines
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warwickmansell.bsky.social
Warwick Mansell @warwickmansell.bsky.social · 14h
Re-reading the curriculum and assessment review's interim report, ready for final report's publication soon. Int that, while interim report states that 2011-13 curriculum review "aimed to create a curriculum that was 'knowledge-rich'", the term "knowledge-rich" didn't feature in 2011 framing doc.
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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 11h
I am so surprised it is actually happening…
Remember all the concern about teachers being filmed etc during COVID…
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rebeccatickell.bsky.social
Rebecca Tickell @rebeccatickell.bsky.social · 21h
Just because we can do something doesn’t mean that we should.

That is all.

Sympathies to all of the teachers who will no doubt be coerced into giving this trust access* to their identities.

I’d like to see the risk assessment.

#TeacherEducation #EduSky #Ethics #AI

*Unlimited? Free?
schoolsweek.bsky.social
Schools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 23h
Exclusive: Teachers will use 'deepfake' technology to create an AI avatar of themselves to deliver catch-up lessons for pupils who have missed school

Watch one of the school’s ‘deepfake’ teachers in our story below

schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-trus...
'Deepfake' teacher avatars to help pupils catch up
Academy trust staff to use AI generator to introduce resources for pupils returning to school
schoolsweek.co.uk
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bpsofficial.bsky.social
British Psychological Society @bpsofficial.bsky.social · 15h
For #WorldMentalHealthDay, we’re highlighting Prof Mark Wetherell’s research on how the body responds to stress.

Discover the longer-term consequences of stress: https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/bear-necessities-stress?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bpsofficial.bsky.social&utm_campaign=PsychMagRD
Photo of Mark Wetherell giving a presentation.
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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 15h
She is right! 😂
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wordaware.bsky.social
Word Aware @wordaware.bsky.social · 15h
Pleasant surprise today when listening to a podcast .
'Word Aware should be in every classroom in every school.' Angela Cosby, specialist SLCN teacher.
We know we're heading in the right direction when experienced professionals say this!
@lang4think.bsky.social
open.spotify.com/episode/4kFK...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 16h
It is the assumption that comprehension will just develop that is fundamentally flawed.

Just filling students with background knowledge, or words is ridiculous.

If you stand back and look at what we know about the reading comprehension process, it is such a weird assumption to make.
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lewisgoodall.com
Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 20h
NEW: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado awarded Nobel Peace Prize.
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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 16h
It is really strange that teachers/leaders are still convinced that individual word reading leads to comprehension! It shows a deep misunderstanding of what comprehension is - I think we have gone backwards in that understanding over the past 10 years. NO ONE who is a cog scientist believes that!
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barbarableiman.bsky.social
Barbara Bleiman @barbarableiman.bsky.social · 16h
Lots in this piece that's very true, except if the 'phonics 1st & only' approach hasn't led to great comprehension & engaged fluent readers with stamina, & the phonics test itself has failed to deliver the overwhelmingly good results promised, then the 'hooray for phonics' tone here is a bit odd!
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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 17h
I wrote this last year... How much more data do we need before this is taken seriously. Phonics idealism has harmed more than it has helped. www.tes.com/magazine/tea...
The data is clear: we have a reading crisis among young people
Three new reports into reading are canaries in the coalmine, writes Megan Dixon, and we need to listen to their warnings
www.tes.com
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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 17h
Well, at least there is some acceptance that phonics isn’t enough.

But, phonics hasn’t been a success story. All we have seen is that a different group of children are not served by the way we must teach children to read.

It’s so so sad. 🤷‍♀️

www.tes.com/magazine/tea...
Beyond phonics: why England still has a reading problem
The latest phonics screening check data is further proof that teaching reading is not ‘done’ at the end of KS1, writes Claire Heald
www.tes.com
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speechandlanguk.bsky.social
Speech and Language UK @speechandlanguk.bsky.social · 19h
Coming to you live from the Tes SEND Show, stand f10!

We'll be here today and tomorrow with lots of products and programmes to showcase, including our wonderful Talk Boost series🐯✨ Do drop by and have a chat with our friendly team!

#TesSENDShow
Speech and Language UK stand featuring books, leaflets and a Talk Boost banner.
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anneapplebaum.bsky.social
Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 20h
Congratulations to Maria Corina Machado, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize - her incredible optimism has already changed her country. I spoke to her, and wrote about her, at the beginning of this year:
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
The ‘Anthropological Change’ Happening in Venezuela
Maduro is still in place, but a pro-democracy movement is transforming the beleaguered country.
www.theatlantic.com
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mehdirhasan.bsky.social
Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 19h
Thoughts and prayers for Donald J Trump
reuters.com
Reuters @reuters.com · 20h
'When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,' the Norwegian Nobel Committee said as it announced Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize
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wordaware.bsky.social
Word Aware @wordaware.bsky.social · 18h
It’s easy to focus on the negatives but people with DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) have strengths too. They just need opportunities to show them! #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
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wordaware.bsky.social
Word Aware @wordaware.bsky.social · 20h
People with DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) need to work hard, and when so few know about DLD they face many barriers. All that takes a toll on mental health.
More awareness would really make a difference! #DLDday #DevLangDis #WorldMentalHealthDay @radld.bsky.social
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wordaware.bsky.social
Word Aware @wordaware.bsky.social · 11d
#DLDday is coming, so I’m starting a thread over a few days.

DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) is all about spoken language. Words and sentences are tricky for people with DLD. And people don’t grow out of it.
#DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
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damsoned.bsky.social
DamsonEd @damsoned.bsky.social · 18h
I simply don’t understand the arguments against whole MAT inspection, or the argument for special consideration.

LAs have always been inspected. They get no special deals. The DFE have always been quite happy to tell LAs what to do and how.

bsky.app/profile/tesm...
tesmagazine.bsky.social
Tes magazine @tesmagazine.bsky.social · 18h
Former academies minister Baroness Barran has urged the government not to use future Ofsted MAT inspections to seek to impose how trusts should operate
Former minister: MAT inspections must not set trusts’ priorities
Former academies minister calls on DfE to set out plans for new multi-academy trust inspection regime
www.tes.com
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wordaware.bsky.social
Word Aware @wordaware.bsky.social · 18h
Reading is a sign of wider societal issues and so it can't all be left to schools to sort. The UK really has some deep thinking to do.
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