English in the News
Below is a selection of articles which are archived online and may be of interest to NATE members. If you know of others please let us know. Keep up to date with our Twitter feed, too.
- 10 books to help boost young boys' reading - The Guardian, Wednesday February 8, 2012
Young boys are often 'reluctant readers', so to help meet the government's aim to get more children reading, here is a Top 10 of books for boys, as chosen by expert Ellen AinsworthLink broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Reading: Competition to encourage love of books - BBC, Tuesday February 7, 2012
The government wants to launch a national reading competition in England to encourage a love of books and boost children's literacy. The contest, for seven- to 12-year-olds, is likely to focus on who can read the most books.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Dear Mr Gove: Michael Rosen's letter from a curious parent - The Guardian, Monday February 6, 2012
Michael Rosen has some questions for the education secretary
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Children lack ability for Dickens, says biographer Tomalin - BBC, Sunday February 5, 2012
Leading Charles Dickens biographer Claire Tomalin has said children are not being taught to read with the attention span necessary to appreciate the novelist's works.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Modern children 'lack the attention to read Dickens' - Daily Telegraph, Sunday February 5, 2012
A generation of schoolchildren lack the skills needed to read Dickens after being “reared on dreadful television programmes”, a leading author has warned.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - National Library Day marks a year of protests against library closures - The Guardian, Friday February 3, 2012
Campaigners have saved some libraries from closure, and an inquiry begins next week – but councils are now under greater financial pressure than ever to cut servicesLink broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Sounds like this phonics scheme has started badly - Times Educational Supplement, Friday February 3, 2012
Minister rebukes schools for low take-up of match-funding offer
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Estyn says reading and writing standards of children in Wales must improve - BBC, Tuesday January 31, 2012
Wales' schools inspection service has raised concerns about literacy levels, and says exam results are not improving as quickly as other parts of the UK.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Carol Ann Duffy and Geoffrey Hill: truly poetic heavyweights - The Guardian, Tuesday January 31, 2012
In the latest poetic punch-up, Duffy and Hill show why poets find it hard to be team players, says Lemn SissayLink broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Rotherham MP hails Dolly Parton book scheme 'a success' - BBC, Friday January 27, 2012
A South Yorkshire MP is calling for a children's reading scheme initiated by US country singer Dolly Parton to be rolled out across the UK.A South Yorkshire MP is calling for a children's reading scheme initiated by US country singer Dolly Parton to be rolled out across the UK.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Higher English 'will include Scottish writing' - BBC, Wednesday January 25, 2012
Answering a question on a Scottish piece of writing is to become compulsory in Higher English under plans from the Scottish government. Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Planned copyright changes could stop authors writing for schools - The Guardian, Wednesday January 25, 2012
Hundreds of authors including Philip Pullman and Anne Fine say government plans would drastically reduce writers' incomesLink broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Exams make our hands sore, say students - The Guardian, Wednesday January 25, 2012
A generation that grew up typing and texting is struggling to write essays in exam hallsLink broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Oxford finalists are 'little better than A level students', claim tutors - Daily Telegraph, Sunday January 22, 2012
They are supposed to be the brightest in Britain. But some Oxford University students show a “distressing” grasp of their subjects and the answers to their final exams are often little better than A-level standard, according to their tutors.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - The King's Speech sparks resurgence of elocution lessons - Daily Telegraph, Thursday January 19, 2012
Traditional elocution lessons are making a comeback as jobseekers attempt to “soften” their regional accents and boost public speaking skills to get ahead in the workplace, according to research.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - You'll miss us if we perish, warn subject associations - Times Educational Supplement, Thursday January 19, 2012
Loss of funds and lack of support leave them fighting for survival. They see themselves as the Big Society in action - teachers working together to help each other improve standards. NATE Director Ian McNeilly says: "We were the Big Society before David Cameron was a twinkle in pater's eye."
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - Warning as schools 'shun traditional reading methods' - Daily Telegraph, Thursday January 19, 2012
Thousands of schools are shunning back-to-basics methods of teaching pupils to read despite continuing concerns over childhood illiteracy, it emerged today.
Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - However busy you are, read to your children, says PM - London Evening Standard, Wednesday January 18, 2012
David Cameron today urged London parents to read to their children every night no matter how busy they are.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here - In praise of … apostrophes - The Guardian, Friday January 13, 2012
Waterstone's or Waterstones? The bookstore's dropping of its apostrophe shows confusion rules in the book tradeLink broken or innaccurate? Please report here - It's best to check your spelling before making war on failing schools - The Independent, Thursday January 12, 2012
A word in your ear, Education Secretary Michael Gove. You might like to get your speech-writer to check whether his or her spellchecker is functioning properly.Link broken or innaccurate? Please report here