Over a number of years I have written about 'Letters and Sounds' (DfES, 2007) being more akin to a framework than a 'full' SSP programme as it necessitated teachers equipping it with teaching and learning resources. It was also suggested in the publication that teachers needed a mnemonic system ('ai...

This is potentially huge news in England's context with implications for schools overseas too.

You can read the DfE's announcement here:

https://phonicsinternational.com/forum/ ... php?t=1153

This well-known series of posts featuring 'phonics' was written by a UK-based teacher/blogger via his 'Scenes of the Battleground' blog - and as a favourite, it is being currently circulated on Twitter: 3 ways phonics denialists will try to fool you https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2017/11...

Ofsted's Annual Report for 2019/20 mentions the need for beginners to be provided with books that match the alphabetic code children have been taught - this just shows we've come a long, long way in England since the multi-cueing word-guessing days of the 'Searchlights' reading strategies of the Nat...

In England, Ofsted reports on its findings pre and post lockdown - consequences of the pandemic. In this thread (link below) that I started via the forum of the International Foundation for Effective Reading Instruction , I featured the observations about 'phonics' at first and then felt very guilty...

• Phonics Intervention – systematic and incidental phonics for reading, spelling and handwriting https://phonicsintervention.org/tutoring-uk/ Thank you for flagging up these very good 'systematic synthetic phonics' based programmes and resources, Elizabeth. Both the Phonics International programme ...

Phonics Books provide some great free resources here:


https://www.phonicbooks.co.uk/advice-an ... resources/

Peter Warner was at one time a regular contributor to the RRF message forum. We're really sorry to hear of his loss. Susan Godsland alerted us to a heartwarming testimonial written about Peter Warner and his work and Peter's supportive effect on others: Remembering Peter Warner https://ltprofessiona...

Warmest greetings to everyone who reads this message. These are frightening and heartbreaking times as the world goes into various forms of lockdown in fear of the coronavirus Covid 19. One way or another, our societies are disrupted and many people are losing loved relatives and friends and/or thei...

Here is a thread at the International Foundation for Effective Reading Instruction featuring the responses to Lucy Calkin's approach to reading instruction:

https://iferi.org/iferi_forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1334

I'm linking this thread to another which features Jenny Chew's critique of the work of Margaret Clark and associates which, at the time of posting this message, has over 8,000 views so is clearly of great interest:

https://rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtop ... f=1&t=6392

Some critics of phonics and/or the phonics check are so vociferous, but so dangerously misleading, inaccurate and/or disingenuous, that I feel it is important to respond to their work in great detail - leaving no stone unturned. Then, if other people wish to promote the phonics check - for example i...

Thank you for flagging up the article in Nursery World, Jenny. I think it is very important that we keep addressing the criticisms of the phonics check and phonics - and this includes putting the record straight more often than not. I have taken some of your comments to add to the responses to the s...

Professor Pamela Snow has written an outstanding post via The Snow Report blog with reference to the Phonics Debate - it is really worth reading in full: It’s time for a Reading Renaissance This article has been reproduced with permission from The Professional Educator , October 2018, special editio...

Many thanks, Jenny.

The link below to the International Foundation for Effective Reading Instruction includes some responses to the latest phonics check and other relevant issues including some worrying comments from teachers' union leaders:

https://iferi.org/iferi_forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1117