CAN’T READ, CAN’T WRITE, Channel 4
Can’t Read, Can’t Write is a shocking and moving series that reveals the hidden realities of Britain’s adult literacy crisis. Nine illiterate adults enrol for a six-month reading course that they hope will change their lives.
What makes this course different from other literacy courses is that it is taught by the inspirational, controversial and award-winning teacher Phil Beadle, previously seen inspiring disaffected teenagers in The Unteachables . Can he teach a class of adults – some of whom can’t even sound out a single word and not one of whom has ever passed an academic exam – to read? His pupils include James, 28, who can only write his own name, and 46-year old Linda, who cannot read a word and yet is desperate to grasp Shakespeare.
Monday 21 July 2008, Channel 4
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Just watched your can’t read can,t write program. such a distorted perspective on the process of learning to read. was this more about finding a vehicle to squeeze the last drop of a potential “charismatic” celeb – i.e. Mr. Whinge factor Beadle for a further series or a real concern re adult literacy. Not only is he a self professed failure at teaching reading ( not his fault as that is not what secondary teachers do) but you try to to make the whole of the primary sector look stupiid by outlining the apparent failings of the adult education sector. So much of what this guy said and did was so uninformed it was actually to the detriment of 2/3 of the focus of the program because it only really focussed on 3 learners, He put all his eggs in the phonics basket with this 3 people – 1 excelled with it – 1 did okay when the kinaesthetic aspect was identified but the other was written off because he just didn’t get the phonics anlgle. What this man doesn’t know or see is that not all learners actually seee the the phonics angle because they are predominantly visual learners – they learn better through seeing words as whole units – how do deaf people and speech impaired people learn to read? How do thre chinese learn to read ? How did you learn how to read if as you incorrectly say “things have come on since you and I learned to read? Phonics is on on it’s 2nd or 3rd time around – a bloody vital ASPECT of the learning to read process but NOT the whole thing. Interesting that mr. Beadle did the same thing that the majority of teacher’s do – left the difficult ones with the “teaching assistant”. i was really disturbed at the assumption that this celebrity could pull off the nation’s literacy problems with a bit of jolly phonics boned up on the night before,. His delivery was pitiful, totally uninformed and dangerous, I might have been heartened if he had had the experience, knowledge or experience to see what Jamie’s problems really were instead of blaming others. As it is he has probably condemned this guy to illiteracy for the rest of his life. Nevermind though eh! he might get another series out of it -teaching god knows what to god knows who because all you need is a bit of charisma, celebrity status and a whinge factor 10. This isn’t about addressing the problem is it?- c’mon , is it? It is about selling a bit moer tv on the back of societies failings – Mr. Beadle if you are not the twat I think you are then contact me and I can really teach you something about the process of learning to read. I doubt it, probably already looking at your next media venture – why not try big brother?
S, I would happily do so, but you have left no contact details.
I’m not S, but I do think it was a good point – what has the follow-up been for Jamie? I’m really interested as I teach in primary, in a school where many children (and parents) have real problems with learning to read and write. I teach juniors (KS2), where the expectation is that they can already read (but many of my class can’t). I focus mostly on phonics, because I’ve seen it open the door for children who have been struggling with look-and-say (or look-at-the-picture-and-guess), but I am really interested in finding out more about those that might need different strategies. I take the point about the deaf – but my understanding is that most profoundly deaf people struggle to get beyond basic reading – maybe because they have to rely on sight/memory of whole words?
So – has Jamie been followed up?
it is a reality for many people,and for myself…..
I watched the programme Can’t Read, Can’t Write which is usually also Can’t do Maths. I was very surprised that the tutor only thought that phonics was the only path to use, in many cases it caused frustration and drop-out. I have taught adults and youths unable to read and the first thing I do is get them to create their own book with pictures of family, friends, pets, favourite prayer, song, hymn, television programmes etc. This book becomes a treasure of familiar things and the words are the ones they wanted me to write. They can open the book and start reading immediately. I use everything, catalogues, menus, posters on doors, windows etc. I could go on forever. I integrate, phonics, writing and maths. My most impossible case was a severe dyslexia who could not read the letter a. He now drives and leads an independent life. I found the only phonic approach very misleading.
I agree with s.jessop. The presenter comes over as very uninformed and he is doing nothing for James. He does not seem to prepare any individual work to meet their individual needs – other than for the star pupils – such as some life experience sentences for James and material of the kind suggested by winifred.
I have now watched 2 programmes and i find them excrutiating.
Especially when I see the size of his group and the teaching assistant.
I hate to think what an exam next week will do to their self esteem – Has he matched it to their abilities or is he putting them all in for it?
hi phil, i think you have done very well and should be proud of yourself. i have the same problems with reading and writing and know how hard life can be when you feel like you have miss the basic schooling needs to help you in life.
i never thought about phonics before as i never learnt them at school, due to this program it has got me thinking.
i wish you well phil,by the way would you do a phonics workshop,like a week course or one day course in phonics i believe it would help many people, me for one. take care phil.
S Jessop does outline the criticisms I have of the programme but to slag off the teacher is not helpful.
Mr B has admitted he has no experience of teaching adults but his failure to listen to the concerns of his pupils to me proved to be a poor example of androgogical practice.
In particular John? – the businessman – repeatedly asked what was the use of the stuff that he was being taught last night. That would send out alarm bells for me as an Adult Literacy tutor. You only learn in the contexts that interest or stimulate yourself.
To lie that Liz? had achieved a GCSE in English also was disgraceful. Again no cognisance had been taken of the individual’s needs and ambitions.
Worst of all was the emphasis on testing that is the curse of Adult Literacy in England and Wales was only ever ging to reinforce the sense of failure in those that had ‘failed’ at school.
This was a poorly thought out attempt to tackle what is a serious problem. The good practice of encouragement and looking at some different types of learning styles was severely undermined
I think the ‘ Can’t read can’t write ‘ programme is excellent in that it highlights HOW the inability to read has an impact on individual lives, and how us ‘reading people’ just do not realise the problems.
I am not a teacher – I am a person who has an adult friend who I am helping to read.
Phil has understood the problems and the programme clearly gets this point across. WELL DONE PHIL.
I agree that the programme is not perfect – hey that’s life! Nothing is perfect. Main issue is that its a HELP and its making things go in the right direction.
Its taken me 4 years to progress from the point of
‘only being able to read her own first name’
to being able to read
‘half a page with difficlty and get some words wrong’ – progress has been slow, mainly due to emotional resistance, but such small progress all the same has made a huge difference.
she can now read important stuff like road signs and entrance / exit signs, ‘danger electricity or deep water’,
and very usefully tins and packets of food to see what the contents are [ if not yet able to read the cooking instructions.]
Any ideas where people like me can find books to use suitable for adults, that have BIG writing and FEW WORDS on each page – rather than having to use pre school childrens books from the library, which causes embarassment. My Library do not know of any.
P
PS [its not clear what the 3 blank boxes are for above the reply pane? which is which and which is published?]