Issue 19, September 2025

In this issue of Nomanis, we ask the question: Are we getting education right?  

Tim Shanahan shares his thoughts on teaching sentence comprehension and its important role in students’ reading comprehension. Robert Pondisco discusses the challenges of creating DIY lessons and classroom resources and gives reasons as to why teachers shouldn’t be called on to provide them. Jill Barshay addresses the ongoing discussion around classroom integration, summarising the research on whether students with special education needs benefit from inclusion into the general education setting – and if so, how?   

The importance of making educational decisions based on solid research is discussed by Dr Mark Carter in Sarah Duggan’s article ‘Expert says cognitive bias at root of education’s bad ideas’. Natalie Wexler highlights the connection between writing and oral language, Kathy Rastle interrogates the criticism of phonics screening checks, while Claude Goldenberg unpacks the two sides of the Reading Wars’, and their differing perspectives on phonics instruction. Finally, Greg Ashman shares his thoughts on the ‘back to basics’ approach to curriculum design and presents research to show it can hinder students’ reading. In doing so, he highlights how a knowledge-rich education in all subject areas is crucial to supporting literacy.  

You can view a digital edition of Nomanis here, download a PDF of the full edition here, or read the individual articles below:

Editorial – Thank you for the MUSEC: Kevin Wheldall and Robyn Wheldall

What we've been reading

What teachers need to know about sentence comprehension: Tim Shanahan

Questionable judgement: Charles Ungerleider

Want students to be good speakers? Teach them to write: Natalie Wexler

Has the phonics screen improved children’s reading?: Kathy Rastle

Three good reasons teachers shouldn’t DIY their lessons: Robert Pondiscio

Expert says cognitive bias at root of education’s bad ideas: Sarah Duggan

Why almost everyone is wrong about the curriculum: Greg Ashman

Have whole language and balanced literacy been mischaracterised and misapplied?: Claude Goldenberg

Top scholar says evidence for special education inclusion is ‘fundamentally flawed’: Jill Barshay