There are hundreds of programmes available for teaching phonics. If you are responsible for choosing one, take time to look carefully at the content, reputation and cost of several programmes before making a decision. First, of course, you should choose
‘Systematic Synthetic Phonics’ and ‘Balanced Literacy’: What’s The Difference?
Elizabeth Nonweiler, November 2022 INTRODUCTION In spite of numerous studies over decades, the controversy about how best to teach children the foundations of literacy continues. In England, nearly all schools teach ‘systematic synthetic phonics’, at least to some extent, but
Decodables
Teaching Reading / By Monique Nowers You can also listen to this article as a podcast: Decodables are books designed to facilitate the development of decoding skills in the early stages of learning to read. Many educators are talking about decodables, but
Response to the BDA campaign to reverse government policy on SSP teaching
The BDA with Usha Goswami is campaigning to get the DfE to dilute and undermine the teaching advocated in systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programmes and in the DfE policy paper, the Reading Framework (July 2021). “We are launching a petition
Dyslexia: Prevention and Intervention
An Educational Psychologist colleague has just shared what she puts in her reports when asked for diagnoses of dyslexia: “While there is not a finite/discrete diagnosable condition of dyslexia, the following descriptors are outlined by the BPS (British Psychological Society)
A Letter to the First Minister of Wales
May 10th, 2021 Dear First Minister, Congratulations to you and Welsh Labour on your successful Senedd election campaign and winning another five years in government. No doubt you are already considering who your next cabinet members will be, and with
Phonics Developments in England from 1998 to 2018 by Jenny Chew
Phonics Developments in England from 1998 to 2018 The first UK government attempt to give phonics a higher profile in England was in the National Literacy Strategy (NLS), introduced in 1998. Whole-word and whole-language approaches had dominated before that, and
A Review of “The Word Wasp” and “The Word Wasp Hornet Literacy Primer” by Elizabeth Nonweiler
Earlier this year I was asked what I thought of The Hornet Literacy Primer. I did not know about it then. Now I have looked at the materials and found out more. I have not examined data about how successful
Reading and Middle Class Strugglers by Dr Marlynne Grant
I think our current emphasis on social mobility and the efficacy of systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) for disadvantaged children is right, but let’s not forget the situation I remember in the late 80s and early 90s when I was seeing
Let’s get all children reading for pleasure and for meaning! by Elizabeth Nonweiler
Let’s get all children reading for pleasure and for meaning! Everyone interested in literacy wants children to enjoy reading, including teachers, parents, children’s authors and campaigning groups like the National Literacy Trust and the Reading Reform Foundation. At the same