Is your school's literacy strategy doing more harm than good? In today's episode, educational consultant Chris Scorer joins me at a local British pub to delve deeply into how our traditional approach to literacy might be causing stress and anxiety for students. Chris draws from both professional expertise and personal experience to challenge the orthodoxy of literacy education. This episode is a must-listen for international school leaders who are keen to explore more inclusive ways to support student well-being while also fostering literacy.

Chris Scorer, an educational consultant and regular speaker on the international education circuit, shares a transformative and deeply personal perspective on literacy. We discuss how overly narrow definitions of literacy and an unyielding drive towards it can have detrimental effects on students, especially those with dyslexia or other literacy difficulties. Chris suggests a radical rethinking of our literacy strategies, advocating for broader frameworks to access and express knowledge that caters to individual learning needs.

• Chris’s journey from being a proponent of literacy for all to questioning its universal relevance due to his son's struggles with learning to read.
• How narrow definitions of literacy can cause stress and anxiety among students.
• The importance of rethinking our approach to literacy to include alternative methods of accessing knowledge.
• The impact of pushing students toward literacy on their mental health and well-being.
• The role of school leaders in facilitating a more inclusive environment.
• Chris’s comparison of literacy accommodation to the Disability Discrimination Act and how we can learn from historical shifts in policy.
• Practical steps for teachers and school leaders to begin implementing a more flexible approach to literacy.

This episode is supported by the International Curriculum Association. Click here to Register For The International Curriculum Conference 2024

Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on X (@leaningshane), and LinkedIn. My website is shaneleaning.com and email address is shane@shaneleaning.com.

About the host

Shane Leaning is an independent organisational coach based in Shanghai, collaborating with international schools and agencies globally. He co-founded Work Collaborative, a community dedicated to inside-out change in education, and hosts the chart-topping podcast, Global Ed Leaders. Previously, Shane was the Regional Head of Teacher Development for Nord Anglia Education’s China bilingual schools, overseeing professional development across 11 schools. He holds an Executive Master’s in International Education from King’s College London and is a certified organisational development coach.

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