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What Works for Pupils With Literacy Difficulties | The Effectiveness of Intervention Schemes | Guidance, Curriculum & Standards
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December 1, 2023
This is a reference book, which reports evaluations of programs to help students catch-up or otherwise improve their Literacy. Since its first edition, it has been regularly re-published and, as of 2023, the book is currently in its 6th Edition. It is no longer edited by Greg Brooks as he has handed on the reigns to the current editors (Gary Lavan and Joel Talcott) but his role in originating the book and editing the first five editions means that it is now referred to as ‘Brook’s What Works for Literacy Difficulties…’
The format of the book is extremely simple. It simply lists the educational programs, with short explanations of how they work, and what the research evidence is for whether they are effective or not. The book does not shy away from controversy as it faithfully reports the 2020 findings that ‘Achievement for All’ had a negative impact upon improving Literacy (p179). As one of the most widely used commercial packages that was a surprising outcome, which still prompts discussion.
The book’s scope makes it an extremely useful aid to UK teachers, particularly those with a responsibility for Literacy outcomes. Teachers can look up programs which they have heard about, to get independent evidence on their effectiveness. They can also look through the book to identify new programs which they can then explore further and, if appropriate, purchase for use in their own schools.
One major limitation of the book is that it only deals with UK programs. That is an advantage when teachers inevitably ask whether a particular approach would work in the UK. But in an increasingly crowded International market place, that is also a serious limitation. Teachers in International Education are subject to marketing and advertising from all the major English speaking nations. It is great to know that there are 52 schemes in the UK, but there are dozens of schemes in the USA, Australia, Canada (etc) and so the book would be even more helpful if it covered those programs too.
The format of the book is extremely simple. It simply lists the educational programs, with short explanations of how they work, and what the research evidence is for whether they are effective or not. The book does not shy away from controversy as it faithfully reports the 2020 findings that ‘Achievement for All’ had a negative impact upon improving Literacy (p179). As one of the most widely used commercial packages that was a surprising outcome, which still prompts discussion.
The book’s scope makes it an extremely useful aid to UK teachers, particularly those with a responsibility for Literacy outcomes. Teachers can look up programs which they have heard about, to get independent evidence on their effectiveness. They can also look through the book to identify new programs which they can then explore further and, if appropriate, purchase for use in their own schools.
One major limitation of the book is that it only deals with UK programs. That is an advantage when teachers inevitably ask whether a particular approach would work in the UK. But in an increasingly crowded International market place, that is also a serious limitation. Teachers in International Education are subject to marketing and advertising from all the major English speaking nations. It is great to know that there are 52 schemes in the UK, but there are dozens of schemes in the USA, Australia, Canada (etc) and so the book would be even more helpful if it covered those programs too.
Displaying 1 of 1 review