Barbara Brann Education
- International speaker
- Creative educator
- Empowering advocate for children
“Empowering and supporting educators, parents and children to understand, learn and apply the building blocks required for literacy acquisition”
I WANT HELP WITH:
Barbara Brann Education
- International speaker
- Creative educator
- Empowering advocate for children
“Empowering and supporting educators, parents and children to understand, learn and apply the building blocks required for literacy acquisition”
Hello, I’m Barbara Brann!
The most significant challenge facing educators, parents and children in education today is unlocking the keys to literacy. Despite the plethora of methods, programs, theories and standardised curricula, teachers still struggle to meet the learning needs of each child. For many children, learning is disconnected and perplexing.
My five decades of teaching, researching, and advocating for change, have been inspired by a passion to find out why things didn’t work in the classroom and to discover what did work. Now an older – and wiser woman in the midst of much educational confusion – I’m committed to sharing the wisdom about what does ‘make sense’ in literacy acquisition.
Hello, I’m Barbara Brann!
The most significant challenge facing educators, parents and children in education today is unlocking the keys to literacy. Despite the plethora of methods, programs, theories and standardised curricula, teachers still struggle to meet the learning needs of each child. For many children, learning is disconnected and perplexing.
My five decades of teaching, researching, and advocating for change, have been inspired by a passion to find out why things didn’t work in the classroom and to discover what did work. Now an older – and wiser woman in the midst of much educational confusion – I’m committed to sharing the wisdom about what does ‘make sense’ in literacy acquisition.
Looking for literacy professional development for your school?
Casey the Caterpillar:
an unlikely leader of the paradigm shift in education and learning literacy
If you’re looking to gain a deeper understanding of to phonemic awareness, learning, and literacy for professional development for you or your school, or want to learn more about Casey the Caterpillar, The Magic Caterpillar Handwriting Process, and other literacy resources I have developed, you’re in the right place. These, and other resources I have spent a lifetime developing, are the culmination of an interesting and challenging career. Working and travelling to diverse locations around the world, from the remotest corners of Australia on nearly 50 indigenous communities, to the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, New Zealand, Qatar and beyond,I acquired a unique understanding of what makes sense in literacy. And through this work, Casey the Caterpillar has become an unlikely agent of change.
I’ve developed an approach to phonemic awareness, learning, and literacy with the power to transform and empower children. As a child who struggled with learning – and later working as a teacher myself – I know what it’s really like in the classroom. I’ve also know education from the perspective of principal and management and can draw from my life’s experience as a parent, grandparent, and great-grandparent.
My approach to phonemic awareness, learning, and literacy is based on a principle overlooked almost everywhere in our current paradigm of education, namely, that the child is at the centre of learning. This means changing the paradigm from what we need to teach, to what is it a child needs to learn. When we do this, it’s possible to identify the most ideal way to provide this opportunity.
I remain as passionate as ever about literacy, maintaining a focus on developing phonemic awareness, particularly in early childhood and the first years of school. Although my focus is now delivering my message through speaking and events, my connection with other literacy champions, Martina Schmidt and Fiona Lilley means the message and tools required to make the paradigm shift are readily available to those wanting to take up the challenge.
Want to know more? Please get in touch and let’s see how we can change the current paradigm and practice of education to one where teaching starts with where the child’s learning needs start.
Speaking: Conferences + Events
My mission is to share my love of learning with teachers, schools, and parents so they’re empowered to do the same for the precious children in their sphere of influence. Available to speak at conferences and events in Australia and internationally, enquiries can be made directly via email.
Resources: Literacy Learning
Casey the Caterpillar and The Magic Caterpillar Handwriting Process have taken on a life of their own, but did you know there are many other resources I’ve developed for learning literacy? In New Zealand, learning resources are available through Fiona Lilley from Learning Skills 4 Kids.