The Real Barrier Isn’t a Phonics Gap—It’s a Clarity Gap

                                                                      

Here is my response to a Substack post on decodables. 

While it’s true that not all struggling readers have the same needs, the statement “many struggling readers have phonics gaps” significantly understates the real issue for a large proportion of children.

 

After leaving a career in accounting in 2004 to investigate why some children read easily in Malay (a transparent orthography) but struggle severely in English, I found that the primary barrier for most persistent struggling readers is not a lack of phonics instruction per se, but the initial confusion caused by imprecise or inconsistent teaching of letter–sound relationships.

Part 2: The Reading Guarantee – Bold Vision or Missing Step?

 

We're back with the literacy showdown. As Hunter pushes structured literacy to rescue Australia's readers, Luqman tags her from the trenches. Can policy catch up to practice?

October 2024: Hunter escalated with her Grattan manifesto, slamming the 1970s "whole-language" hangover – where kids guess words from context – for leaving a third of Year 5s unable to decode proficiently. 

Evening News: Spotlight on Jordana Hunter – Australia's Literacy Wake-Up Call

                                                                 

Good evening, and welcome to Evening News. In a nation where one in three children battles to read proficiently, the stakes couldn't be higher: disengagement, behavioral issues, and a lifetime of barriers. Leading the charge is Jordana Hunter, Education Program Director at the Grattan Institute, whose data-driven pleas for reform are shaking up classrooms. But as her blueprint gains traction, voices from the frontlines – like veteran educator Luqman Michel  question if it's addressing the real flaws in how we teach. Tonight, we unpack the crisis, from stark NAPLAN gaps to a bold "Reading Guarantee," weaving in key insights from blogs, reports, and a tweet that's gone viral in edutwitter circles. Our story starts with a preventable national shame.

From Literacy to Justice: Stand With Me Against Dyslexia & Corruption

 

Support Luqman’s fight for children’s right to read and his battle to expose corruption in Sabah

 

Dear friends, readers, and fellow advocates for justice,

 

For years, I’ve dedicated myself to freeing young minds from the struggles of dyslexia. Many children I’ve taught—often at no cost—have gone from frustration to joy as words unlocked worlds they once thought closed. My book, Teach Your Child toRead, is more than just pages; it’s a lifeline for parents and schools, offering simple, effective strategies to help children read with confidence. Hundreds of copies have been distributed freely to families, educators, and schools, because literacy should never be a privilege—it’s a right.