Correspondence between BabyTV and Luqman Michel (Part2)

Many educators and scientists in the world have said that many kids cannot read because of ‘Dsytechia’ (a term coined by teachers). This simply means that kids cannot read because teachers do not know how to teach.

However, no one has ever said what it is that is being taught wrongly. I know the answer to that question and have said it many times. It is simply because about 20% of kids in the world are prone to shutting down when taught wrong phonemes/sounds represented by letters.

Don’t Astro and BabyTV have any educators/professors/scientists to check out how phonics ought to be taught?

Can’t  Astro/BabyTV get some professors from our local universities or from overseas to confirm or otherwise what I have been harping on?

Can’t Astro/BabyTV confirm my findings with any of our Education officers?

The following is the response to my email in my previous post.

Debbie Pattinson 

To:Luqman Michel

11 Oct at 18:39

Dear Mr Michel

Thank you for your emails. 

We do value feedback in respect of our programming.

We note that you consider that it is important to teach kids in the right way.  So do we.  We believe that the programming on Baby TV is both fun and enjoyable.  It also provides valuable lessons for our viewers.

You raise a number of interesting points in your emails.  We have reviewed Charlie and the Alphabet and consider that it is both legally compliant and also appropriate for our audience.  Whilst we do appreciate your offer to provide input into our programming, we do not consider that it is necessary to drawn on your experience and so we must respectfully decline your offer of assistance. 

I would ask that if you have any further queries in relation to programming on Baby TV that you address them directly to us and not to any of our distribution partners.  We are best placed to answer any questions about our programmes.

Thank you again for your offer of assistance.

Best

Debbie Pattinson

If Debbie Pattinson has read my book and does not have any questions based on my book I do not know what else to say.

I do not blame Debbie as our fellows in our Education and Professors in USM and UMS are also in the dark on why kids leave school as illiterates. Currently, there is no one in the world, other than me, who knows why kids shut down from learning to read. I have learned this from the students I have taught since 2004.

I have also written a lengthy email to USM and hope they will discuss my email among their staff and grill me on whatever I have written.

I am sure that the illiteracy rate is as high as it is because phonemes are taught wrongly in schools. I am prepared and willing to discuss/debate this with any professor anywhere in the world.

Yes, I agree with Debbie with her statement that ‘Charlie and the Alphabet’ is perhaps legally compliant but I will fight to the end with anyone saying that it appropriate for ‘our audience’.

It is not only not appropriate but detrimental to kids who are predisposed to shutting down.

Debbie said, “We note that you consider that it is important to teach kids in the right way.  So do we.” 

As far as teaching phonemes is concerned, there can only be one right way and that is to teach consonants without extraneous sounds. When the world understands this, illiteracy will be reduced throughout the world.

Debbie also said: “I would ask that if you have any further queries in relation to programming on Baby TV that you address them directly to us and not to any of our distribution partners.  We are best placed to answer any questions about our programmes.”

I am afraid that there is no one who knows why kids shut down when wrong phonemes are taught to them. Otherwise, the illiteracy rate will not be maintained at this rate for decades.