Since gaining a Post Graduate Certificate in Education specialising in literacy I have been working in education for nearly twenty years and am a member of The Tutor and Assessment Register for The Hampshire Dyslexia Association. My teaching experience covers all ages from 5 to adult in mainstream schools, special education and one-to-one tuition. The increasing demand for one-to-one tuition has also led me to set-up a small, specialist, individual tuition service.
It was my early work with children with challenging behaviour that initially led me to specialise in reading. I asked why these children were presenting with these behaviours in school and why they were not engaging with the curriculum in the same way as other children. I soon realised that although teaching these children how to manage their anger and address their inappropriate behaviour in the classroom was important, it was not tackling the root cause of the behaviour.
I observed that, for many, their poor reading ability excluded them from much of what was going on in the classroom. With inadequate reading skills, the children were not able to undertake the tasks required of them but, more importantly, did not feel part of the school community. As a result of this ‘exclusion’, the children did not ‘buy into’ the relevance of what was being taught and felt little or no responsibility for their actions. In short, because they could not read well enough, their behaviour deteriorated and they became disruptive and disengaged.
This was a ‘light bulb’ moment for me and I decided to make teaching children to read, my first priority. Of course, the reasons for a child having poor reading skills are many. Maybe the child had extended periods of sickness or impaired hearing at crucial times when the first steps were being taught. Maybe their challenging behaviour meant they were out of the classroom for long periods or maybe the way they were being taught did not suit their individual learning style. However, I knew that whatever the reason, poor reading skills were impacting the whole education and social development of pupils.
After setting up my consultancy ten years ago, providing one-to-one tuition with the simple aim of teaching all children to read I found that news of what I was doing soon spread. Interest in my approach and and the results I was achieving led to a permanent waiting list and this demand continues to grow. I continue this individual tuition whilst also working extensively in schools teaching children to read as well as advising and training staff in my techniques.
I am passionate about reading and teaching children to read, as I understand how life-changing being a ‘reader’ is and the difference it makes. It is because of this passion and the belief I have in the importance of reading that I decided to share my techniques with others through the Sounds Good Reading System™. I personally use Sounds Good Reading System™ with all my pupils, in my workshops, training courses and in staff training in schools.
