“Ten times the number of kids who have innately biologically ordered learning difficulties have learning difficulties that are a consequence of what they learned.” — Dr. David Boulton
For years, I’ve taught children labeled as dyslexic—children who were disengaged, confused, and often branded as lazy or stupid. But what I’ve seen in my one-on-one sessions tells a different story. These children aren’t broken. They’re confused. And that confusion is often caused by how they were taught to read.
As a teacher who's spent over 15 years helping "dyslexic" kids—most of whom are simply instructional casualties of outdated teaching methods—I've long believed that true change in America starts with fixing our broken literacy system. U.S. illiteracy rates have barely budged since the 1970s, trapping generations in cycles of poverty and limiting their potential. That's why, for the past decade, I've been tagging and replying to influential voices like Barack Obama, hoping to spark a conversation.
The Hidden Layers of Teaching Expertise Why “Teacher” on a CV Isn’t the Whole Story
A powerful true story of mismatch, confusion, and breakthrough—revealing why the right experience matters more than just experience.
📚 The Problem
Recruiters often treat “teacher” as a catch-all label. But teaching is a mosaic of specialized skills. A secondary science teacher isn’t automatically equipped to teach phonics to six-year-olds. The result? Mismatched placements, frustrated educators, and confused learners.
“Experience matters, but the right experience matters more.”
Echoes, Evidence, and the PISA Wake-Up Call
Shouldn’t we think before accepting anything we read?
Since 2016, when I first read that “reading is biologically unnatural,” I’ve disagreed. This post shows what happens when one researcher makes a claim—and others repeat it without question. Stanislas Dehaene. Pamela Snow. David Chalk. Regie Routman. The myth spreads. The consequences deepen.
Different Perspectives: Tweets That Sparked the Debate
Good evening, readers. The dyslexia debate often ignites on Twitter (now X) and simmers unresolved for years — tonight, we revisit one such firestorm.
Our spotlight falls on Pam Kastner (@liv2learn), a vocal advocate for the Science of Reading (SOR) and phonics-first instruction. With over 16,000 followers and roles at Mount Saint Joseph University and The Reading League PA, she's a force in pushing evidence-based literacy. But our paths crossed in heated 2020 exchanges that highlight the chasm between phonics purists and those of us advocating for innate decoding potential.
Part 1 traced our rocky start: ignored 2018 comments, 2020 mute suggestions, and Snow’s dodge of multilingual miracles. Now comes the meat—her Science of Reading (SoR) sermons on phonemes, foundations, and why kids “disengage.”
Spoiler: She misses the mark by miles, harping on comprehension and fluency while kids trip at the starting gate. My proof? Fifteen years remediating shutdowns with pure sounds: /k/, not “kuh.” Results: Fluency in months, not years. Snow’s response? “Narrow focus.” Reality: She’s tunnel-visioned on symptoms, ignoring the cause: extraneous-sound sabotage.
Evening edition
I have so many articles on tow. I thought of posting these as a different set.
It's been over eight years since I first emailed Robert Pondiscio in July 2017, sparked by his review of Mark Seidenberg's Language at the Speed of Sight in Education Next. Back then, I was deep into my self-driven research on why certain kids—smart, multilingual, able to read in Malay and romanized Mandarin—shut down when it came to English. I challenged him on the flaws in teacher training, the wrong way sounds are taught (that dreaded "cuh-ah-tuh" blending), and how confusion leads to disengagement. He responded briefly, promised to watch my example videos (now long deleted from YouTube), but then... silence. No follow-up, despite his book-writing busyness.
🚨 Unmasking the Myths: My Decade-Long Clash with Professor Pamela Snow
“Reading is biologically unnatural.” — Professor Pamela Snow, 2018
For over a decade, I’ve challenged this myth—and the silence surrounding it. I’ve taught 80+ children since 2004, many fluent in Malay and Pinyin yet stumbling in English. The fix? Teach consonant phonemes correctly. Pure /b/, not “buh.” Results in four months flat.
But Professor Pamela Snow, a leading voice in Australia’s Science of Reading (SoR) movement, has dodged, muted, and dismissed my evidence. This three-part series exposes the myths, the dodges, and the consequences.
Dear friends, family, and fellow Malaysians,
I'm Luqman Michel, locked in a tough civil suit (BKI-22NCVC-89-10/2025) against Topwira Corporation, Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu (DBKK), and others—including the Controller of Housing Sabah—over serious issues of housing development and consumer rights. My fight is for accountability and fairness, but legal battles are draining my resources.
(Refer my blog posts - LINK)
Four of the defendants filed their Memorandum of Appearance, escalating the case. To keep going strong, I need your help to cover legal fees. Every ringgit counts toward justice!
Donate securely: Affin Bank Malaysia: Account No. 200590014607 (Luqman Michel)
PayPal: luqmanmichel@gmail.com
No amount is too small—your support fuels this cause. Share widely if you can! DM for updates or questions.
Grateful beyond words. #JusticeForSabah #HousingRights #CrowdfundForJustice
New research proves what many educators deny: the brain is prewired to read. It’s time to rethink everything.
Sections:
Ohio State study shows newborns have a brain region ready to process words.
VWFA is connected to language networks — even before exposure.
Pamela Snow and others claim reading is a recent invention, so it can’t be innate.
This ignores both science and lived experience.
We’re not building literacy from scratch — we’re protecting what’s already there.
Mislabeling kids and rigid instruction are the real threats.
OSU is scanning 3–4 year olds to track VWFA development.
This could reshape how we understand reading disorders.
Call to Action: Reading is not a contrivance. It’s a capacity.
Read the full post below.
For years, I’ve been told that reading is not a natural process — that it’s a human invention too recent to be innate. Educators like Pamela Snow parrot this claim, citing the 6,000-year history of written language as proof. But new research from Ohio State University finally confirms what I’ve observed for decades: the human brain is biologically predisposed to learn to read.
Children aren’t broken. Our teaching methods are. Discover why decoding is often innate — and how confusion poisons the path to literacy.
Sections:
Most children who read do so by figuring it out — even when phonics is taught incorrectly.
Decoding ≠ comprehension. Let’s stop conflating the two.
Harvard research shows reading relies on smooth neural pathways.
Wrong phonics = stoplights. Correct input = free flow.
Many “dyslexic” children are victims of confusion, not disorder.
Early exposure to wrong sounds (TV, kindergarten) blocks natural decoding.
My first student learned to read without phonics — just Peter and Jane books.
I’ve seen children “unlock” reading overnight when confusion is removed.
Call to Action: Let’s stop blaming children. Let’s start fixing instruction.
Read the full post below
For years, I’ve argued that many children possess an innate ability to decode written language — an ability that’s often overlooked, dismissed, or actively suppressed by flawed teaching methods. This claim has sparked heated debates, especially on Twitter, where educators like Pamela Snow have blocked me rather than engage with the evidence. But the truth remains: many children figure out how to read despite — not because of — formal instruction.
🚸 Decoding vs. Comprehension: Let’s Be Precise
When I say “reading,” I’m talking about decoding — the ability to recognize and sound out words. Comprehension is a separate skill, and I leave that to experts in that field. The confusion between these two has led to widespread misunderstanding about what it means to “learn to read.”
# Confusion, Not Disability: The Real Reason Kids Struggle to Read
## A literacy advocate’s challenge to 50 years of consensus—and a call to teach letter sounds with clarity.
For decades, educators have relied on explicit instruction to teach reading. But despite its widespread use, millions of children still struggle. Why?
**Luqman Michel**, educator and author of *Shut Down Kids*, argues that the problem isn’t cognitive—it’s confusion. When letter sounds are taught with extraneous sounds - schwas (“muh” instead of “m”), children disengage. This landing page explores the overlooked cause of reading failure and offers a path forward.
Pinyin vs. the Phonics Plague
In Part 1, I asked whether my emails to SCMP, Liberty Times, and Global Times—plus blog posts dismantling dyslexia dogma—nudged Beijing’s October 25 crackdown. Now let’s dig deeper.
This isn’t about “misinformation.” It’s about shielding myths—especially those exposed by Pinyin’s quiet brilliance.
When Credentials Trump Truth
On October 25, 2025, China dropped a regulatory bombshell: influencers must now present verified professional credentials—degrees, licenses, official stamps—before speaking on “sensitive” topics like education, medicine, law, or finance. No more armchair experts dropping truth bombs without the ivory-tower seal of approval. The penalties? Up to 100,000 yuan in fines, content wiped, accounts suspended.
A Tale of Two Posts and One Overdue Shift in Dyslexia Discourse
In the echo chamber of education LinkedIn—where platitudes like “building each other up” often drown out the gritty work of actual reform—I stumbled on a post that cut through the noise. Sheron Fraser-Burgess, PhD, an ethicist steering data/AI governance and FATE (Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, Ethics), dropped this gem:
