In a week where I have struggled with coding IF, and learnt a lot along the way, Nick Gibb’s comments reminded me why I continue to struggle with IF. There is no doubt in my mind, no doubt whatsoever, that IF has a real education power to develop reading skills and encourage ‘reluctant readers’ to read. And, here we are only focusing on reading and playing IF (there is of course writing IF). At this point I would like to offer my thanks to Dr Don Passey with whom I spoke to this week, for his conversation and support in helping me form some of the questions rattling around in my thinking. I believe that the commitment required to playing IF, is the key to its potential for developing reading ability, not setting aside the critical thinking skills inherent in the game play. It just proving it that needed. Who knows, with Don’s help there might even be a paper by the years end. So, Nick Gibb’s comment….
One in six 11-year-olds is still struggling with reading when they leave primary school. One in ten 11-year-old boys has a reading age of seven or below. Secondary schools are forced to provide extra help and catch-up sessions when they should be introducing children to the breadth and depth of the secondary curriculum.
And children who cannot read are more likely to become disengaged and disruptive. A recent report by the Centre for Social Justice showed that between half and three-quarters of children permanently excluded from school display significant literacy problems . As the author said, “many display challenging behaviour to hide the fact that they cannot read.”
Amongst other education hot topics of course.
Go on, play IF. It is FREE, its demands your attention, you are the story, it gets you thinking, its entertaining and its online, on iOS and Android. And IF you are brave enough, download Quest and create your own IF.
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