“Our children are the future of learning.” Sir Linkalot’s innovative approach to education emphasises the power of mnemonic linking to revolutionise learning outcomes. By empowering learners through diverse methods like linking, we not only enhance their educational journey but also equip them to shape a future economy that drives growth and innovation in Britain.
Andy Salmon
Owner, Sir LinkalotI was asked to speak at Chamber’s recent event, hosted by the LGBT+ Conservatives, with the Secretary of State for Education, Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP, in attendance. My opening line was “What is the capital of New Zealand?” The majority of people yelled out confidently, “Auckland,” which is fair enough as it is the financial centre of the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’. Someone eventually said the correct answer, “Wellington,” and I told them that the country is wellington-boot shaped.
They all smiled and nodded. This method of creating a hook (a link) to hang the fact on is the most powerful way to recall it at a later date. The only alternative is rote learning, which takes time, is dull, doesn’t really work, and you can’t join in.
This short clip shows you the vast difference in the test results of these two methods, Case study: Traditional methods vs Linking. It’s not even close. The column on the left is what’s happening around the country at all primary schools. If a child leaves primary education not being able to read and write fluently, then what chance do they have of excelling in their public exams and beyond?
Revolutionising Education Through Linking
I am called Sir Linkalot as I like to link…a lot, for 30 years, in fact. Linking is a game that helps you learn any fact, whether it be the spelling of onomatopoeia or that the Gunpowder Plot took place in 1605. And all you need to play is imagination. No rules. No system. Nothing.
Every child has one, but they aren’t given the chance to use it in class to learn information. So, they use it at home on their personal devices as they have the digital world at their fingertips. Telling them to “just learn it” is probably the most used line by a teacher. If the teacher is going to be a teller, then they should work in a bank.
Parental input can help a child enormously, but not so much if the child is disadvantaged, either because they are neurodiverse or because of their economic, social, or cultural situation. Many single parents, or those who are illiterate or whose mother tongue isn’t English, find it very hard to help their children with, for example, their weekly spelling tests. Basically, the teacher is saying to the parents, “Can you do the rote learning with your child and not enjoy the experience as I don’t want to waste my time doing it in class?” Surely parents should parent and teachers teach?
Teachers need classroom resources that work for all, thereby not relying on parents helping at home. Linking (a mnemonic) is one of these resources. Take a look at this clip to find out what it’s all about (you’ll see a very famous, highly-respected person at the end giving a ringing endorsement), Sir Linkalot – Taster video. I was amazed he misspelt it. A brain freeze can happen to the best of ‘em.
Getting students involved in the learning process is the Holy Grail. Linking has been around for centuries: Never Eat Shredded Wheat (the order of the compass points), Richard of York gave battle in vain or Roy G.Biv (order of the colours of the rainbow), lefty loosey, righty tighty (turning a screw), spring forward, fall back (the clocks going forward and back by an hour). I have created thousands of them for all subjects, beginning with spelling and times tables. And here’s the good bit…children and adults are getting involved.
They submit their creations to us, hoping that they will end up on the app alongside their name. Fifteen people have managed to achieve this so far with, interestingly, 11 of them having dyslexia. This is no coincidence as they have had to use their imagination to commit something to memory due to rote learning simply not cutting the mustard. So, someone with dyslexia is helping people with their spellings. How cool is that?
Empowering Neurodiverse Learners
Here are three creations from people with dyslexia (you can see their ages at the end of each animation – one of them is eight!): said; caught; eat & away. Lynn, the 49-year-old creator of the link for ‘said’, told me that she had waited 35 years to tell someone that. 35! When I said that it was way better than mine and that it would be on the app within 24 hours, along with her name, she walked out of the room with a spring in her step. Great stuff.
A lot of neurodiverse children think they are second-class citizens, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Most movers and shakers look at life through a different lens and many of them have dyslexia – Albert Einstein, Muhammad Ali, Sir Richard Branson, Steven Spielberg, and Robin Williams. Being neurodiverse is most certainly a gift, not a hindrance.
Young people need a grounding in all subjects to achieve in life, but one of the most important things you can arm them with is confidence, which linking instils. They are the bedrock of our future and educating them in the right way will equip them to help grow Britain. It’s amazing what children can learn if it is presented to them in the right way. Take a look at the age of the second child in this clip, spelling manoeuvre, who spells a word that 90 per cent of adults can’t spell – Stephen got it correct when I asked him (natch[A2] ).
Countdown’s Susie Dent is on the app as Lady Lexicographer, who reveals the origin of certain words on the app that have an interesting story to tell, known as “Susie’s Stories”. This is what she had to say, Why Countdown’s Susie Dent has joined Sir Linkalot on his quest of making “I can’t spell” a thing of the past.
Let’s sign off with a couple of links about with this wonderful nation of ours that we should be extremely proud of – Britain, news.
Children don’t need to look at teachers to shape their future. They need to look in a mirror.
Go to www.sirlinkalot.org to find out more about the “The World of Linking”.
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