Thread by @Suchmo83

A thread on why/how I wrote a book, which was released today:

Last summer I wrote a book. I'd planned to write it a few years from now, but my FSH-muscular dystrophy suddenly stopped me walking much more than very short distances, so I found myself in need of a distraction.

I have taught children to read in classrooms (and undertaken interventions) with every year group over the last 15 years. I also spent two years working specifically with smaller groups of children whose reading had badly stalled and desperately needed a restart.

Recently, I have delivered sessions for a local ITT provider following an observation of my teaching and an interview. I currently coordinate reading and the wider curriculum in a wonderful school (and have supported other schools in adapting their reading offer).

Nevertheless, 15 years of teaching reading, however varied, isn't a lot of experience compared to many people. My reading results have always been good, but that's only my classroom. Given the way in which reading attainment and progress is built over the long term, a genuine...

...track record of success would require a decade in a school with the latter half of that showing excellent progress and attainment. Anything less than that can be achieved in terms of data through Y6 SATs hot-housing and short-termism. Believe me - I've seen it.

I don't have a decade of reading leadership in a single school under my belt. I don't have the sort of track record required to make exact, prescriptive statements about how reading should be taught. Fortunately, I don't think that teachers are particularly well served...

...by such prescriptions anyway. What my book offers instead is an attempted distillation of the wealth of reading research through the eyes of a primary teacher with a breadth of experience and an interest in the evidence base. (I began investigating the...

...research into reading about three years ago when my muscular dystrophy stopped me from doing any form of sporting activity. I recognise that three years is not a long time, but you can get a lot done when you lose most of your hobbies overnight.)

No silver bullets. No suggestions of a single way to better outcomes that will translate to every context. The book *does*, however, describe principles that I think can support decision-making in primary schools (and anywhere that works with struggling readers).

Some people might be sceptical about the potential value of such a book. I *could* have waited and gained more experience. However, if the wrong muscle goes twang, then my career could end overnight, and I very much wanted this to be a book by someone still working in a school.

I hope you'll forgive my impatience on this count.

I don't want to make any money from the book. All royalties will be donated to the Malaria Consortium, as has been the case with any money I've earned doing bits of writing and other stuff beyond my school salary.

I also don't want anyone to buy the book or recommend it merely out of a sense of generosity. If you think it's useful, please recommend it. If you think it's terrible, please shout this from the rooftops. I only want it to sell if it's genuinely worth reading.

To sum up...

+ I wrote a book.
+ It think it's good, but I'm biased.
+ Please promote it if you find it useful.
+ Please warn people if you don't.
+ It was written last year due to my unpredictably progressive physical disability.
+ All royalties will go to charity.

Here's a link to the book itself. You might be better off waiting for others to recommend it (or not) before taking the plunge. That said, people I respect a great deal have been very positive about it, so I won't discourage you from taking a gamble:

hive.co.uk/Product/Christ…

Equally, if you want to get a feel for whether the book might be up your street, here's me talking about reading on the #TDaPE podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sea…

It's important to note that I owe a debt of gratitude to the Edutwitter community, especially @Mr_AlmondED, @MissSDoherty, @Kieran_M_Ed, @mattswain, @morgs, @lwilliamsjones and @primarypercival.

I also massively appreciate the advice given by @PepsMccrea, @ClareSealy and @teacherhead when I wasn't sure whether to seek a publisher or not.

It appears that I have tagged the wrong @MorgsEd. 😬