Synthetic Phonics

Newspaper reports about Synthetic Phonics

Traditional phonics of UK Clackmannan programme led to reading improvement

A pilot study that uses a traditional method of teaching children to read has produced dramatic improvements. After four years of "phonics" lessons, boys of eight have developed skills two years ahead of the average reading age for boys while girls are 18 months ahead. The St Andrews University research in eight primary schools in UK Clackmannanshire has followed 300 children from the age of four. The emphasis has been on teaching the whole class rather than dividing into smaller groups ... Now all nineteen Clackmannanshire primary schools are using this method. The pupils are learning to recognize letters and their sounds, individually and when combined with other letters. They are then taught to say the letters out loud and thereby spell out a word, building and "decoding" it. The children learn rhymes to help them to remember spelling rules. "Sh" for example, may be remembered by a sign such as a finger to the lips. (UK Times, 26 July 2002)

The Clackmannanshire phonics programme - early learners close the gap

Early intervention in UK Clackmannanshire primary schools has not had the effect seen elsewhere of widening the gap between fast and slow learners. In fact, virtually all children have made significant gains in reading and the rate of success increased in primary 2, according to the latest results from a project that now takes in all 19 of the authority's primaries.

Sandy Wilson told councillors this week of the contrast between the Clackmannan experience and that of teachers involved in the national early literacy and numeracy program. Referring to an exclusive report in The TES Scotland ... Mr Wilson said that evaluation of the national scheme "suggested the program may not achieve the aim of increasing social inclusion by raising literacy standards among the most disadvantaged. This is not the case in Clackmannanshire." He pointed out that many schools in areas of high free school meal entitlement were achieving the same levels of success as those elsewhere.

The Clackmannan program centers on the use of a system of phonics to teach reading whereas the £60 million national program puts more emphasis on placing extra adults in Year 1-3 classrooms, Mr Wilson claimed. The latest findings show that children in pilot schools who had been seven months ahead of their actual ages in March of Year 1, having learnt to read with the help of "synthetic phonics", were a full twelve months ahead in March of Y2.

Comprehension scores were equally impressive. The second year of the initiative gives results for all nineteen primary schools, where the average gain in Y1 was seven months, the same as in the pilot year. Alison Lindsay, convener of the learning and leisure committee, said the program had been "embraced enthusiastically by all schools at headteacher and classroom teacher level, because it focuses on high expectations and effective teaching and learning". Mr Wilson said that whereas up to 30 % of pupils in some schools might have been operating at a reading level below that for their age, only a very few were now lagging behind. That allowed teachers, and where necessary the psychological service, to concentrate on their problems.

The Clackmannan synthetic phonics program ... is now focusing on the needs of pupils in Y3 and beyond. Mr Wilson said that the emphasis would turn from learning the "decoding" mechanics of reading to developing thinking skills. (TES, 29 October 1999)

Poverty does not need to hinder learning

According to the Times, a radical way of teaching children to read has out-performed the Government's preferred literacy strategy where a literacy hour is taught every day in primary schools in England. The one year pilot study of 300 schoolchildren in Scotland showed those taught using "synthetic phonics" were seven months ahead with their reading and nine months ahead with their spelling compared to the Government's strategy. The method was pioneered by Dr Rhona Johnston, and consists of boosting children's reading spelling and phonemic awareness through learning just six letters a day. Children are taught the 42 letter sounds at six a day over eight days. At the same time, they are taught to identify letters in the initial, middle, and final position in words and to sound and blend words using magnetic letters. Anne Pearson, headteacher of Park Primary School in Clackmannanshire, said, "The children are a year ahead of their chronological age. They have done two years' work in one year.This is the most deprived school in Clackmannanshire.our kids are now achieving levels above pupils from well to do areas. Poverty does not need to hinder learning." (TES, 6 November 1998) Source