Guidance on teaching methods

[Headspin]

I see RR receiving a lot of criticism for their approach and I'm not about to say whether or not correctly or incorrectly, as I am not in a position to do so!

However, would it be possible for a summary, of what the issues are in respect of:

1. The new strategies introduced in Sep 2007 for teaching reading.
2. The discrepancies between this and commonly delivered literacy programmes.

I am familiar with the methods of some literacy programmes, but not, in the initial reading process delivered in school. I have two children who are both 'pre-readers', I want to ensure that I provide them with the most simplistic way in which to decode our language.

Thanks.

[Susan Godsland]

Hello, and welcome to the message board, Headspin

I think that this web page on the synthetic phonics method will help answer your questions:

http://www.aowm73.dsl.pipex.com/dyslexi ... thod_3.htm

If you're still puzzled by anything, then please ask more questions!

[chew8]

Hi, Headspin -

You ask, in relation to 'RR' (presumably Reading Recovery):

'However, would it be possible for a summary, of what the issues are in respect of:

1. The new strategies introduced in Sep 2007 for teaching reading.
2. The discrepancies between this and commonly delivered literacy programmes.'

Brief answers:

1. Since September 2007, the official guidance for teaching reading has been that beginners should be taught grapheme-phoneme correspondences in a clearly-defined sequence, starting with the simplest, and should be taught to read words by saying sounds for the letters from left to right and blending the sounds. This is a departure from the 'searchlights' model of the National Literacy Strategy, which was interpreted as encouraging even beginners to use not only letter-sound knowledge but also other strategies (e.g. context and grammar) for identifying words. RR, however, seems to have retained something more like the 'searchlights' approach, so is different from what should now be happening in classrooms.

2. I assume that 'this', in your question, refers to 'the new strategies introduced in Sep. 2007', but if it refers to RR, my answer is also relevant. The new government guidance is different from earlier NLS advice and from the RR approach, but very similar to that given in 'commonly delivered literacy programmes' such as 'Jolly Phonics', 'Read Write Inc.' and 'Fast Phonics First'.

If you start by teaching your preschoolers letter-shapes and one sound for each, and teaching them to read simple words by sounding out and blending, you will be doing what should be happening in classrooms when they start school. If it's not happening (and it may not be in all classrooms), then what you have done will still stand your children in good stead.

Jenny C.