Heather Ellis
Teaching a Child to Read and Write Well
“Dream, Imagine, Achieve: Discover What You Want to Be!”
Heather Ellis
Teaching a Child to Read and Write Well
The author reflects on the persistent challenge of students failing to acquire functional literacy despite abundant resources and teaching methods. Through relief teaching in multi-level classrooms, they emphasize the significance of analyzing students’ writing as a starting point for understanding their literacy levels. This process led to the discovery of a common structure in literacy acquisition that transcends conventional curricula, with a focus on listening and speaking skills. The author advocates for a holistic approach to literacy education, integrating listening and speaking into reading and writing. They outline a method of setting individualized goals collaboratively with students, providing focused activities and resources for practice, and emphasizing regular conferences to monitor progress. The author believes their approach can inspire positive changes in classroom management and teaching methods, fostering confidence and inspiration for both teachers and learners. They share a touching anecdote of a student who, through their method, was able to communicate proudly with their father about their achievements at school, leading to a deeper and more meaningful relationship between them.
WHO IS Heather Ellis
Nestled in a coastal haven on New Zealand’s North Island, the author leads a purposeful retirement life, nurturing a garden, creating art, and igniting literacy in young hearts. Their passion lies in understanding why some children struggle with literacy while others thrive. Despite raising three children and fulfilling teaching duties, they pursued academic qualifications and embarked on a teaching adventure in Indonesia. Fate led them to return to New Zealand, where they embraced relief teaching in rural schools for a decade, providing stability and guidance to twenty schools. They revolutionized teaching by personalizing goals for students, focusing on writing intricacies, and providing tailored exercises and reading materials. Students thrived with clear objectives and rewards for achieving goals, creating a symphony of learning and success. This journey inspired the creation of a book aimed at empowering teachers and parents to teach literacy effectively. The author’s deepest desire is to witness children once grappling with failure rise to embrace success, showcasing the extraordinary journey of a teacher who learned alongside her students.
