Part 4: “Write Your Own Programme”? I Already Did.

Visit my book store at   https://payhip.com/LuqmanMichel   

When I tweeted about foundational contamination in reading instruction, Geraldine Carter of the Reading Reform Foundation (RRF) replied that there are “thousands of requests” and suggested I write my own programme. My book, Teach Your Child to Read, is designed as a practical tool for parents and educators — a way to bypass institutional inertia and give children the foundations they deserve. Where avoidance stalls progress, this resource offers clarity, structure, and empowerment.

Part 3: The Grail Contaminated – Why Clarity Still Fails Some Children

 

In Part 2, I explained that clarity in instruction—the correct sounds of letters, taught step by step—is the Grail. It prevents confusion and keeps children from shutting down. But even with clarity, some children still struggle. Why?

 

Because the human mind is like the human egg. Once an idea has entered, it is difficult for a new one to penetrate. This is especially true for curious, intelligent children. They absorb early input eagerly, and when that input is wrong, it embeds itself deeply. Later correction often bounces off. These are the very children who shut down—not because they lack ability, but because their early learning was contaminated.

Evening News: Greg Ashman and the Silence of Educators

 

Preface to the Greg Ashman Series

This Evening News series examines the writings and claims of Greg Ashman, an educator whose views on literacy and reading instruction have gained attention in Australia and beyond. I have chosen to respond to his posts not because he is my adversary, but because he represents a wider pattern in education: confident assertions made without confronting the real reasons children fail to read.

The Silencing of Dissent: Why the Dyslexia Establishment Keeps Blocking Me (Part 1 of 3)

 

Why I am writing This Series

Since 2010, I’ve blogged about reading instruction, dyslexia, and phonics—always grounded in facts and student outcomes. I’ve taught over 80 children labeled as dyslexic, and I’ve shared what works, freely and openly.

This new three-part series marks a shift. It’s not just about methods—it’s about why those methods get blocked.

I’ve been silenced, ignored, and blocked by educators, researchers, and influencers—not because my results are flawed, but because they challenge the consensus. These posts explore the motives behind that resistance: profit, herd mentality, and gatekeeping.

I’m not here to attack individuals. I’m here to ask:

“Why block a question? What does that say about openness to debate?”

If we want to solve illiteracy, we must be willing to confront uncomfortable truths. This series is my invitation to do just that.

It's been years since I first noticed the pattern: educators, researchers, and self-proclaimed literacy experts on Twitter (now X), LinkedIn, and beyond, blocking me not for harassment or threats, but for daring to question their sacred cows. As the founder of free online lessons that have helped dozens of children—many mislabelled as "dyslexic"—read fluently in under four months, I've become a thorn in their side. My crime? Pointing out that phonological awareness deficit isn't the root cause of reading struggles; it's the confusion from teaching consonants with extraneous vowel sounds like "buh" instead of pure /b/. Kids shut down, disengage, and get funneled into expensive interventions. But why block the messenger?

Dr. Marlynne Grant and Reading Reform Foundation of UK.

 

Yesterday, 9.12.21, I read a tweet by Reading Reform Foundation of UK as follows:

@RRForg

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) is challenging the Department for Education's promotion of Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) - the technical code knowledge and skills for word recognition of the Simple View of Reading. Dr Marlynne Grant responds: http://rrf.org.uk/2021/12/08/res

 

‘When government is wrong, it is dangerous to be right’ (Voltaire)

I have been writing to Reading Reform Foundation of UK of which Mona McNee is the founder.

Here are a few extracts of emails from Mona to me in 2015. Read it carefully and it may explain why no one wants to discuss why many smart kids are unable to read.

“I am 92 next month and failing daily -eye sight, and have been deaf for 60 years so now I merely exist. 

Thank you for your help. Keep fighting for phonics based on 26 letters>sounds which works for all.”

 “I am delighted to hear of your fight.

Remember I myself thought it was just look-say vs phonics. The Evils behind all this must be very clever.”

My comment: I stopped writing to the lady above in 2015 because she was almost blind and I did not want to burden her.