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British pedagogist practiced from the late-1950s until the mid-1980s / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vera Southgate (10 March 1916 ā 23 March 1995) was a British pedagogist who tried to improve the way children were taught to read English from the late-1950s until the mid-1980s. This was an important time for the discipline as many disparate & distinct methods were being practiced including the initial teaching alphabet, phonics and whole language, which was known as "look & say" at the time. Vera Southgate published a large number of academic papers, developed the Southgate reading tests and sat on the Bullock government inquiry, she also evaluated the initial teaching alphabet on behalf of the British government. Her final major research exercise was to lead a half decade study into improving the reading skills of older children, the resulting publication, extended beginning reading, won the UK reading association book of the year.
Vera Southgate | |
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Born | Vera Pigg (1916-03-10)March 10, 1916 |
Died | March 23, 1995(1995-03-23) (aged 79) |
Nationality | British |
Other names | Vera Southgate-Booth |
Occupation(s) | Teacher, Educationalist, Author |
Known for | Reading |
Board member of | President of the United Kingdom Literacy Association (1970 - 1971), Committee of inquiry into the teaching in the schools of reading (aka The Bullock Inquiry)(1972 - 1975) |
Spouse(s) | Arthur Southgate, Douglas Thomas Booth |
Academic background | |
Education | Master of Arts (MA) in Education |
Alma mater | Birmingham University |
Academic advisors | Professor Francis William Warburton (Experimental Education) |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Pedagogy of Literacy (Reading) |
Institutions | Manchester University |
Main interests | Teacher education, Initial Teaching Alphabet, Literacy test |
Writing career | |
Genre | Children's literature |
Notable works | Ladybird Books;-Well Loved Tales |
Vera Southgate authored over fifty primers and reading books which were often published within basal reading schemes, these were used to teach children to read in a structured step-by-step fashion. It was this work that made her a household name when she re-told 27 well loved tales in a ladybird graded reading book series. This series proved remarkably successful, selling 80 million copies but being read by a much larger audience through reading in schools and libraries.
For her achievements, Vera Southgate was elevated to the role of the 7th president of the United Kingdom Reading Association, which also posthumously elected her to the association's hall of fame.