Some reviews of The Secret of Literacy

To further whet your appetite for my forthcoming book and in the spirit of shameless self-promotion, I thought I’d share a couple of pre-release reviews. (Just in case you weren’t aware, it’s out on 31st January, and I’m quite pleased with it!)

First of all, there’s a very generous review from the headguruteacher himself, Tom Sherrington:

The Secrets of Literacy is an essential book for all teachers and school leaders.  It is not just another literacy book. David Didau provides a crystal clear rationale for all teachers taking responsibility for developing literacy in their specialist areas, with lots of very practical ideas, drawing on a range of sources from blogs and the latest literature on the issue. Anyone familiar with David’s own superb Learning Spy blog will immediately recognise some of his most powerful ideas and his inimitable style: it is witty and accessible, grounded in the reality of everyday classrooms, but also conveys a sense of urgency. This is a serious business and, as David highlights, too much of what we do in the name of literacy, isn’t literacy at all. The book is challenging us to do better and shows us how.  ‘Making the implicit explicit’ captures the key message, but The Secret of Literacy is more than a set of tools; it is a call to arms!

Tom Sherrington, Head Teacher, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford

And here’s one from my blogging rival and colleague the always thoughtful and incisive Alex Quigley:

As an avid reader of David’s brilliant blog I was really excited to read his new book. I wasn’t to be disappointed! In his inimitable style, David manages to enliven and illuminate literacy, making what is a potentially tricky topic accessible and downright intriguing. He distils a shed-full of research and combines this with practical pedagogy.

David puts the compelling argument that literacy is not a bolt-on job for English teachers, but it is rather a fundamental aspect of great teaching in every lesson for all teachers. He dispels some enduring myths and establishes a clear, usable methodology that all teachers can instantly understand and apply in the classroom. There is a fantastic array of practical ideas and sharp insights which will mean this book is a great addition to the library of all teachers.

Every teacher should pick up this book – just watch out if you are a PE teacher!

Alex Quigley, Subject leader of English and Assistant head teacher at Huntington School, York.

If you’d like to pre-order a copy, you can do so here. You also get a free book mark:

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