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Mark Goodrich

@markgoodrich.bsky.social

1K followers 510 following 2.1K posts

Was a lawyer, now a primary teacher. Interested in politics, chess, citizenship and education especially reading and maths. Has lived in 🇯🇵🇰🇷and now in 🇱🇦. https://open.substack.com/pub/markgoodrich

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 3d

Hi #EduSky - it's my #Saturday3 of blogs / articles that have made me think this week. First up, @ruthswailes.bsky.social on the DofE Writing Framework. Although framework has been welcomed, there has been criticism from EYFS practitioners. A good balance from Ruth.
ruthswailes.com/handwriting-...

Handwriting, Readiness and Rhythm: Finding Balance Between Policy and Practice. - Ruth Swailes

When the DfE Writing Framework (2025) landed, many of us read the line about children in Reception being taught to “form lower-case and capital letters correctly” and felt that familiar flicker of ten...

ruthswailes.com

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 4h

I managed to do this right! I read Freedom based on a recommendation, enjoyed it a lot but never really felt the need to read another of his books.

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 4h

I think I might have heard that before I read it but it still took me a long time to connect “that’s a nice Segway” with the word “segue”.

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 5h

I must confess that I did not read Charlotte’s Web as a child but only as an adult when I read it to my own kids…and, wow, it’s one of the “classics” that really deserves its place on shelves today.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 7h

This was one of the “unhinged” literary opinions I endorsed earlier and, quite by chance, this book arrived today. It’s short but packed with absolute zingers. #KidLit

Cover of Katherine Rundell’s book “Why You Should Read Children’s Books Even Though You Are So Old and Wise” featuring a stern-looking stylised owl with a book forming his plumicorns.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 9h

This is why….I had no idea! www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/even...

www.royalalberthall.com

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 9h

Wait….sumo wrestlers are in London and nobody told me?! Wonderful content…just gets better and better!

Patriciajaydee @patriciajaydee.bsky.social · 16h

The rikishi are taking-in the town and doing what we all do when in London.
Seeing the sights, admiring the parks, shopping on High Street, taking tea at Fortnum's, using the olde phonebox, eating Chinese, and having a terrific time.

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 9h

I wonder how variance compares to, e. g. primary schools. You’d really think that would be more consensus in an A&E department.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 9h

This thread and quote-tweets have been brilliant - reminded me that short text can be a fun as well informative medium. The most recent takes on how it is fine not to venerate the book as a physical object are a bit *too* unhinged though…

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 1d

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 19h

Well, a lot of what I post here concerns reading so I hope you find it interesting.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 19h

I am re-reading The Tale of Despereaux at the moment and that book works on so many levels.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 19h

I see your facade and raise you egregious.

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 20h

It’s also the best Christmas movie.

Andrea Kaston Tange @aktange.bsky.social · 1d

And the best adaptation of any Dickens that has ever been put onto the screen, or ever will be, is the Muppets Christmas Carol. But I think that is quite possibly the least unhinged opinion it is possible to have about Dickens. It's simply fact.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 20h

I saw a brilliant thread by @clairewillett.bsky.social on here a while back where she convincingly argued that he made much more sense if you assumed he was gay.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 20h

Sorry to hear and hope it gets sorted soon.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 20h

I also studied Persuasion and my teacher kept trying to persuade me how clever it all was….but I didn’t do English at university so I might be nearly over it now, 35 years later.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 20h

Ah - somebody else who studied her for A Level?

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 1d

I will never understand why this doesn’t make more people quit X.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 1d

Elon Musk is funding Tommy Robinson's court battles, along with other online fans to keep him in Bentleys
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10...

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www.telegraph.co.uk

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 1d

Great post but the question this raises for me is was Sid Waddell’s commentary before or after Die Hard?

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Reposted by Mark Goodrich

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, I wrote about it here. Natalie was kind enough to cite my piece liberally.

www.karenvaites.org/p/the-southe...

The Southern Surge: Understanding the Bright Spots in the Literacy Landscape

Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Alabama offer a playbook for improving reading outcomes.

www.karenvaites.org

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks for posting it! I did not know you were on Bluesky….

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 1d

I also greatly benefited from his work in my final year Jurisprudence exam. A great and very useful book and sad to hear of his death.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks - I meant a pdf or something similar that I would be able to print out in reasonable quality.

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 1d

Excellent blog on being able to observe lessons well. However, Adam may be disappointed to hear that I thought it was not that spicy 🌶️ a take. Pretty much Lemon & Herb on the Nando’s scale.

Adam Boxer @adamboxereducation.bsky.social · 2d

NEW POST

The Radiologist

Hope you enjoy it and please share if you can 🙏🙏

substack.com/home/post/p-...

Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 2d

My brother was also out there today! Well done. 👏 👏 👏

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Mark Goodrich @markgoodrich.bsky.social · 2d

There’s something in that but only a little. As a kid, I hated Susan’s exclusion from TLB and when I re-read it to my daughter, it just seemed like full-on misogyny. Quite unprompted, my daughter pointed out that there was literally nothing in Susan’s character arc to suggest that.

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