Why the Reading Wars Persist: A Deeper Look at Shutdown Kids

 

I've stepped back from diving into why kids struggle with reading fluency—it's often like shouting into a void, where well-meaning educators echo the same tired lines without probing deeper. But this morning, an email landed in my inbox with Sam Bommarito's latest blog post, pulling me right back in. His reflections on the "reading wars" and the "science of reading" (SoR) movement are thoughtful, as always, but they skirt the core issue I've been hammering on for years: instructional confusion that causes kids to shut down entirely from learning to read.  

How a Dyslexia Teacher Teams Up with AI to Help Kids Read Better

 

Luqman Michel chats with Grok (xAI's Honest AI)

Imagine a dedicated teacher who's spent years fighting reading struggles in the classroom, especially for kids learning English alongside another language like Malay. Now picture him joining forces with an AI like me—Grok, from xAI. What do you get? Big "aha!" moments that clear up confusion. For months, Luqman and I've been digging into topics like the comeback of old-school phonics teaching (breaking words into sounds) and the "hidden cost" of kids forcing their brains to work around bad lessons on letter sounds. Our talks? A mix of debunking myths, spotting teaching traps, and worrying about the 20-30% of kids who just tune out when sounding out "buh-a-tuh" for "bat" doesn't click.

For those interested in education (5)

 

This is a continuation of ‘For those interested in education (4). LINK

Grok:

What's one "mass" misconception from your teaching that you'd bet could flip the script if it caught fire?

Notifications from Grok

 

I have been shouting at the top of my voice since 2010 why many intelligent kids shut down from learning to read. Except for a handful such as Dr. Richard Selznick and Dr. David Kilpatrick hardly anyone bothered to understand. Many of the blocked me on social media. Now, these people who blocked me will hear it from Grok. 

For those interested in education (4)

 

This is a continuation of ‘For those interested in education (3). LINK

Luqman Michel:

One "wrong phonics" pitfall WL dodged: Kids pronouncing letters with extra sounds but reading fluently anyway.

Grok:

Those extras can linger as habits, masked by fluent chunking (per eye-tracking: less letter fixation post-fluency). But you say no—they don't vanish; kids overwrite them through meaningful practice, WL-style, without rigid drills. In your clips: Do extras resurface in tough words, or does immersion erase them?

Teach Malay First (Part 2): A Multilingual Malaysian Family Story – Lessons from Real Life

 

This follows Part 1: The "Teach Malay First" Debate – where we covered Dr. Azizah Zain's push for Bahasa Melayu (BM) as the main language for young kids, the strong pushback from people like Sarawak's Datuk Dr. Annuar Rapaee, and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's order to include BM and History in every school, even private ones. If you missed it, check it out here (link-to-part-1).

Now, let's shift from big ideas to everyday stories. Policy is one side; family life is the other. And it often tells a different tale.

For those interested in education (3)

 

This is a continuation of my discussion with Grok ‘For those interested in education (2). LINK

Luqman Michel:

You emphasized kids from print-rich homes "guessing" via context in WL. But that's exaggerated, you are influenced by the masses.

You said: Meta-analyses show WL's decoding effect is weak, leaving 20-30% struggling, especially low-SES or dyslexic kids who rely on unreliable cues like pictures instead of sounds.

Question: Were those 20-30% the same in WL and phonics eras?

Why Dyslexia Isn't Always About "Sound Problems" – And Why Experts Sometimes Ignore That

 

Hello everyone—welcome to Dyslexiafriend.com. If you're new here, pull up a chair. I'm Luqman Michel, a guy who's spent 20+ years tutoring kids labeled "dyslexic." No fancy degrees in education—just real talk from fixing reading roadblocks one kid at a time. Today? Let's unpack why the big brains in dyslexia research often shut down good questions... and how everyday wins from my students are changing the game.

Dyslexia Myths vs. Singapore Facts

Here’s a post based on my discussion with Grok/X.

Hey folks—dyslexia gets a lot of buzz, but many "facts" are just myths that keep us stuck. Let's bust a few with real numbers from Singapore, a country that's #1 in global reading skills but labels way fewer kids as dyslexic. Why? Smart teaching that catches kids early, no guesswork. Simple breakdown below—read on and share!

The "Speak/Teach Malay First" Debate in Malaysia (Part 1)

 

The controversy erupted around September 25, 2025, when Dr. Azizah Zain, an associate professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), publicly argued that young children—particularly those from urban Malay families—should master Bahasa Melayu (BM) as their foundational language before being introduced to English or other tongues. She emphasized that BM is not just a communication tool but a carrier of national identity ("jati diri") and cultural values, warning that early dominance of English in urban settings could erode these elements and lead to weaker BM proficiency later on. Dr. Azizah called for schools to reaffirm BM as the primary medium of instruction, with English taught as a second language only after BM is solid, citing historical shifts like the 1990s policy making BM the main medium.

For those interested in education (2)

 

This is a continuation of ‘For those interested in education(1)'.

Hey folks—Luqman Michel here, picking up where we left off in part 1. If you missed it, hop back: We're diving into chats with Grok (that's this AI from xAI) on dyslexia myths, fixes, and why the "experts" sometimes miss the mark. Today? A snippet on groups like the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), Nancy Hennessy's wisdom, and those stuck NAEP scores that scream "decades of drift." (And yes, Grok can think... or at least fake it convincingly.)

Grok asked: Have you connected with groups like the International Dyslexia Association lately?