As an experienced teacher & lifelong learner who specialises in literacy, I know first hand that continuing to refine our own understanding of the English writing system can really enhance the impact we have on our students.

Our English language is a rich & complex tapestry with threads that have been woven from the experiences of all those who have read it & written it. Invasions, migrations, trade, culture, religion, other languages, & technological advances have all contributed to its colours, patterns, layers, & textures.

Our writing system, or orthography, reflects the complexities of these influences in the way it has evolved over time in continuing to convey meaning expressed by language in its written form. Despite its complexity, words & their spellings can be logically understood by considering the interrelationship between morphology, etymology, and phonology, and the way these relationships are realised by morphemes and graphemes.

Balancing a deep understanding of how words work with what the science tells us about literacy acquisition, can have a transformative effect on word recognition, reading, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, and written expression.

This website provides resources & services aimed at helping teachers and students further their understanding of orthography which can then be embedded within an approach that reflects the science of reading.