On balance
There has been a renewed focus on phonics assessment and instruction in Australia this year, particularly in the state of Victoria where...
Search
Emina McLean
- Mar 25
- 8 min
Sharing our progress: Writing
It was a pleasure to collaborate with Jeanette Breen on this blog post. Jeanette is a learning specialist and educator at Templestowe...
3,160 views0 comments
Emina McLean
- Mar 8
- 3 min
Sharing our progress: 2-6 reading comprehension
I have decided to share some of our data sets across the next 12 months. These data sets will hopefully continue to show our ongoing...
2,930 views0 comments
Emina McLean
- Jan 20
- 1 min
Designing an ambitious and rigorous primary English curriculum
Following on from Brad Nguyen’s recent presentation about setting up a knowledge-rich curriculum, I was fortunate to have the opportunity...
1,809 views5 comments
Emina McLean
- Sep 23, 2021
- 1 min
The Response to Intervention (RtI) framework
Response to Intervention (RtI) is an instructional framework in which schools provide layered instruction/intervention as a core...
3,282 views0 comments
Emina McLean
- Aug 3, 2021
- 6 min
Phonemic awareness instruction: What's the evidence?
What is phonemic awareness? Phonemic awareness is a component of phonological awareness. "Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to...
7,973 views13 comments
Emina McLean
- Jun 29, 2021
- 8 min
Reading motivation
I receive a number of emails from educators that are about reading motivation. Many educators, particularly in secondary schools, report...
1,640 views0 comments
Emina McLean
- Jun 3, 2021
- 1 min
From research to practice: What can it look like?
This week I presented the Learning Difficulties Australia Weekly Wednesday Webinar. Below you will find access to the recording as well...
6,252 views2 comments
Emina McLean
- Apr 13, 2021
- 4 min
It's time to review our hurdle rates in literacy
I was re-reading some of Lemov's (2015) chapters on effective teaching techniques the other day. This time some things he wrote in a...
1,222 views0 comments
Emina McLean
- Mar 28, 2021
- 6 min
Working the clock and "the literacy block"
The Victorian Government Schools Agreement details the workload for teachers. When working full-time, there is a maximum of 22.5 hours...
7,893 views4 comments
Emina McLean
- Mar 19, 2021
- 7 min
Developing a literacy assessment schedule
I have had a lot of questions lately about the assessments we are using at our new primary school (Docklands Primary School) and more...
18,085 views5 comments
Emina McLean
- Feb 26, 2021
- 18 min
Explicit vocabulary instruction across grades and subjects
I have written previously, but rather generally, about how to approach vocabulary instruction. I presented quite a few times last year on...
19,836 views4 comments
Emina McLean
- Sep 25, 2020
- 9 min
Handwriting instruction: What's the evidence?
Everyone teaches handwriting, but like with other aspects of literacy, there is enormous variability in how educators go about it and how...
10,236 views1 comment
Emina McLean
- Sep 18, 2020
- 9 min
Keep the balance, Sheryl, keep the balance.
[This is the sixth story in a series about the journeys educators have been on to change literacy practices in schools. This educator was...
1,966 views0 comments
Emina McLean
- Sep 17, 2020
- 4 min
Knowledge is power
[This is the fifth story in a series about the journeys educators have been on to change literacy practices in schools. This educator,...
1,521 views0 comments
Emina McLean
- Sep 14, 2020
- 6 min
This is personal
[This is the fourth story in a series about the journeys educators have been on to change literacy practices in schools. This educator,...
2,426 views0 comments
Emina McLean
- Sep 12, 2020
- 4 min
My long journey towards the Science of Reading
[This is the third story in a series about the journeys educators have been on to change literacy practices in schools. This story is...
1,461 views1 comment
Emina McLean
- Sep 12, 2020
- 4 min
I was told to "immerse the child in print".
[This is the second story in what will hopefully be a series about the journeys educators have been on to change literacy practices in...
3,252 views0 comments
Emina McLean
- Sep 11, 2020
- 8 min
Seeing the light
[This is the first story in what will hopefully be a series about the journeys educators have been on to change literacy practices in...
2,705 views0 comments
Emina McLean
- Sep 8, 2020
- 17 min
Considerations for Science of Reading conversations: Can I change your mind about changing minds?
We already know quite a lot about what works best in reading (and writing) instruction. We have had access to this body of knowledge for...
3,836 views2 comments