Radical Reflections: Passionate Opinions on Teaching, Learning, and Living

by Mem Fox

The internationally acclaimed children’s book writer and educator offers her insights into the learning process, language education, and the pleasure, growth, and power that reading and writing can bring.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Teaching, Adult, Writing

173 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Merrion Frances Fox is an Australian writer of children's books and an educationalist specialising in literacy. Fox has been semi-retired since 1996, but she still gives seminars and lives in Adelaide, South Australia.

Reviews

[Danny Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book as an undergraduate, and now that I'm teaching, I often revisit it when I need a pep-talk.

The first few chapters, anyway, should be circulated to literacy teachers at all levels. It's basically a book of theoretical essays with a single guiding idea: the most important thing about words is how they are shared with other people.

Instruction should be designed accordingly.

Fox does not offer lessons or resources, but the essays are adorned with anecdotes that at least give teachers something to strive for in their own teaching. Fox writes about teaching her own children to read. She shares insightful moments from her interactions with university students and colleagues. Even in essay-form, her style leans whimsical and narrative. It's a fun book to read, and it leaves your (soul? heart? gut?) filling fuller than it was before.

Not all readers will consider Fox's ideas to be "radical." But today--when new bureaucracies are demanding so much from teachers and students, when literacy lessons are becoming more prescribed and less personal--her ideas might be more important than ever.

[Jane Whittlingham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mem Fox is a great writer..of fiction books for children!
Please don't be fooled by her ideas on how children learn to read. She is wrong. A very small minority of children work out how to read on their own. All the best evidence based research categorically states that to be a successful reader one needs explicit instruction on how our alphabetic code works! This is not to say that they should be deprived of wonderful literature..far from it! Just don't expect them to be able to read it before they have learnt how to work out the black marks on the page.
There are plenty of great books pitched at children's developing phonic knowledge: books they love to read with words they CAN read!
Mem was at university way back in the last century, long before all the research came out..Sadly this book should have been withdrawn because it contains misleading information..Reading aloud to children will not teach them how to read just as having them listening to lots of music will not teach them how to play the piano!

[Tawny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite lines:
1. "Giving unreal writing activities to our students is about as useful as giving occupational therapy for stroke victims to people who are in perfect health."
2. "My writing, I'm realizing, nearly always has the socially interactive purpose of either creating relationships or ensuring that established relationships continue."
3. "The view that writing might be fun, or amusing, or relaxing is not, I imagine, widely held, and we teachers must be to blame for that."
4. "Literature provides essential sustenance for the soul: it is of life and about life, and classrooms lacking in literature are classrooms lacking in soul."

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I relearned that to get kids to love books and want to read, as teachers we have to find time for them to read and to be excited about what we read! Notice how we don't have our "good read" friends give us a book report or have them answer 5 comprehension questions after they finish a book. There's something to that.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had even a fraction of the gift of words that Mem has to describe the changes of heart and thinking and hopefully teaching that came to me by reading this book. In her final chapter she said, "Teaching, like any art, is an endless cycle of trial and error. If you imagine you will one day have the whole game sewn up, think again and keep thinking. And keep reading and discussing, and changing and experimenting." Her book has been one that has me changing and experimenting. I think this little quote could be applied to life as well!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Mem writes a lot about the books she has written and gives us fabulous insight into her author's craft and not-so-secret political and literary agendas along the way. I avidly devoured this collection of essays and will definitely be quoting her off and on for the rest of my cognizant life.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in teaching and literacy, this is a humorous and inspiring look at what is important when passing on the love of reading.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though copyrighted in 1993, this book seems older still in its championing of whole language instruction, etc. Never the less, many of the precepts still hold true. Australian Mem Fox, also a children's book author, champions many basic truths about teaching (self-evident, one hopes): that teachers be constant readers and constant writers themselves; that they be able to "speak and write correctly"; that they "create a community of learners"; that they toss "unreal language activities" (read: basals and worksheets); that they remember they are teaching TWO sexes, not one (nod to feminism); that they be "effective speaker[s] and careful listener[s]"; that they expect "the world" from their students (read: raise the bar and don't say, "They can't do that"); and that they "remember that every piece of teaching is a piece of research." If these words fire you up and you feel anything like the choir member I do, you might enjoy Mem's fire and brimstone preaching.

There are also quite a few anecdotes about her life at home, her life as an elementary teacher, and her life as a university instructor of future teachers. I was less enamored with her constant mention of the books she has written for children, which she used to illustrate points (and, by the way, to perhaps sell a few books).

This is one quick read. It is a testimonial book, not a book of ideas or even lessons. If that's what you're after, you've misinterpreted the word "reflections" -- which, by the by, are no longer "radical," at least not to this reader.

[Ned Ryerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for a college class whose goal was to teach me to teach writing. I've always been of the mind that you can't teach writing--you either got it, or you don't. To a certain extent, this book changed my mind on that. Now, talent is talent, whatever the field. And there's no denying that. But this book focuses much more on teaching kids to love language and to embrace the many different roles in can play in your life. It addresses the very basics of learning to write (for instance, learning to read...) and the more in-depth concepts (expressing emotion effectively). Interesting approach. I don't agree with all of her theories, but I like the lady. And I like how much language matters to her. Gotta like that.

Don't get me wrong--I don't sit around and read this book for fun. I mean, come on, pedagogy is not what you would call thrilling. But I think in this case, some props are definitely due. Good on ya, Mem.

[Emily Mellow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has me reevaluating my homeschooling style, and it's always good to shake things up. Several times throughout the book, though, I felt it was a big advertisement for her other books, as she was always quoting her own literature. She is maybe a bit too full of herself as a writer. However, as a teacher of writing, I'm sure she's among the best!

[Whitney Sorensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This offered me a whole new perspective with which to approach writing and reading in the classroom- totally non-traditional and anti-worksheet. There are many things in here that are useful, and Mem Fox is very funny and has some great stories!

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was for the professional book club at school. I really enjoyed it-even though it was written in 1993! There are still so many valid points that she makes and she's quite entertaining at times.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my all time favorite teaching books.

[Lisa]

Loved it. Inspires me to write.

[JG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mem Fox at her honest, direct best with gems for those of us teaching young ones or struggling to write for young readers.

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love Mem Fox. Wish she cuold have been my teacher.

[Teresa]

One of my favorite books about reading and learning. Mem Fox is straight-forward as well as delightful.

[Tammy]

Several of the sections gets you thinking about putting the passion back into your teaching. Gotta love her children's books.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mem Fox's brilliant reflections on writing and reading as it ought to be done. I am especially fond of Chapter 1, "Notes from the Battlefield: Toward a Theory of Why People Write."

[Guisela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I'm going to read again :)

[Kelly Massry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes me want to go out and buy all of Mem Fox's books for children!

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fox gets repetitive at times but she is indeed passionate as the title says and she gave me a lot to think about.

[Clivemichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Excellent writing and advice