In this research the extent of very young children's social interplay and learning about friendship and relationships, even whilst doing mathematics, was revealed.

Two years ago the way beginning teachers got a job in New Zealand was completely changed. A set item in 1990 looked at the changes. Now, two years further on, the latest figures are put through the mill and principals are asked about how the system is working for their schools.

Parents do look round for the ‘best’ school for their children. Can a school change itself to be the ‘best’? The options for change are limited, and advertising your wares may be more like selling soap than knowledge.

Contrasting the way chimps and young children learn gives an insight into a stage, most noticeable about the time children start school, when earlier ‘success’ is followed by ‘failure’ at the same tasks. When success comes again, it is a huge jump ahead of the best a chimpanzee can manage. Junior school maths, physics and language ...

New Zealanders, self-satisfied, pat themselves on the back for their excellent teaching of reading. One of the long-time reading gurus, Frank Smith, has written this thoughtful, if opinionated, account of how continued success can be achieved.

A letter to the editor of the Times Educational Supplement. Donnelly makes a point in the debate about ‘real books’ and ‘phonics’ in a dramatic way.

There are a small number of children who can sound out every word and make it all sound sensible, but who understand very little of what they have ‘read’. Theoretical conclusions and help for teachers.

Some titles have colons in them, some don’t. Is there something in this? Do colons point to better articles? Better research? Is this a subject worth studying? Shock! Horror! Pomposity probes pomposity! 

Some textbooks are dreadfully dull. Researchers tried out the same facts written by different authors and discovered that the way in which the facts are written makes a big difference to how much is remembered.

Television nowadays often blends the ingredients of different genres into one programme, notably documentary (fact) and drama (fiction). Research in Britain confirms that children have difficulty in separating ‘fact’ from ‘opinion’ in such programmes. Faction cannot be dis-invented, so teachers have a job on their hands.