After 16 weeks studying letter sounds, most children have mastered art of reading By Richard Garner Published: 03 June 2005 Synthetic phonics teaches children how to read through understanding the sound of words. For example, the word "street" would be broken down into five different sounding letters - "s-t-r-ee-t". Within 16 weeks, after studying different letter sounds for 20 minutes at a time, most children have mastered the art of reading. They understand how to blend the different sounds to form simple words. Once children have learnt the 43 different letter sounds and combinations used in the British language, they move on to understanding the meaning of the words they see. According to the study of schools in Clackmannanshire, within a year they are seven months ahead of fellow pupils using a different range of methods to learn how to read. They also learn how to spell better than other pupils. The study also appeared to show synthetic phonics helped boys more than girls. They performed better in skills tests - the reverse of what has become the norm in schools. The phonics programme devised by Nellie Dale as a result of earlier attempts to introduce the method in the mid 19th century became popular in UK and US schools in 1898. By 1920, one-word flash cards had become the most popular way of teaching reading. But by the 1960s,Janet and John books had taken centre stage. The national curriculum for English, published in 1989, was revised in 1992 to include more emphasis on phonics. This year's report on a seven-year synthetic phonics study in Clackmannanshire showed it is successful with all children. The education select committee requested a trial, and the Government set up a review of the national literacy strategy. Synthetic phonics teaches children how to read through understanding the sound of words. Synthetic phonics teaches children how to read through understanding the sound of words. For example, the word "street" would be broken down into five different sounding letters - "s-t-r-ee-t". Within 16 weeks, after studying different letter sounds for 20 minutes at a time, most children have mastered the art of reading. They understand how to blend the different sounds to form simple words. Once children have learnt the 43 different letter sounds and combinations used in the British language, they move on to understanding the meaning of the words they see. According to the study of schools in Clackmannanshire, within a year they are seven months ahead of fellow pupils using a different range of methods to learn how to read. They also learn how to spell better than other pupils. The study also appeared to show synthetic phonics helped boys more than girls. They performed better in skills tests - the reverse of what has become the norm in schools. The phonics programme devised by Nellie Dale as a result of earlier attempts to introduce the method in the mid 19th century became popular in UK and US schools in 1898. By 1920, one-word flash cards had become the most popular way of teaching reading. But by the 1960s,Janet and John books had taken centre stage. The national curriculum for English, published in 1989, was revised in 1992 to include more emphasis on phonics. This year's report on a seven-year synthetic phonics study in Clackmannanshire showed it is successful with all children. The education select committee requested a trial, and the Government set up a review of the national literacy strategy. The Independent, online edition June 3, 2005
				Return to phonics puts children years ahead By Sarah Cassidy, Education Correspondent Published: 12 February 2005 A return to traditional methods of teaching primary school children to read has seen a group of pupils start secondary school three and a half years ahead of their contemporaries, according to a major research study published yesterday. A return to traditional methods of teaching primary school children to read has seen a group of pupils start secondary school three and a half years ahead of their contemporaries, according to a major research study published yesterday. The introduction of traditional "phonics" teaching also reversed the national trend and saw boys outperform girls in reading, the seven-year study in Scottish schools found. The findings could have powerful repercussions for the way reading is taught in England. Although phonics teaching was reintroduced in the literacy hour in 1998, English primary schools do not use the rapid methods that produced such impressive results in Scotland. The study, which followed 300 primary schoolchildren from their first day at school until their first year at secondary school, found that while both sexes made above average progress, boys benefited the most. In England only 77 per cent of primary school leavers reach the required standard of reading and spelling for their age with boys (72 per cent) significantly behind girls (83 per cent). A return to traditional methods of teaching primary school children to read has seen a group of pupils start secondary school three and a half years ahead of their contemporaries, according to a major research study published yesterday. A return to traditional methods of teaching primary school children to read has seen a group of pupils start secondary school three and a half years ahead of their contemporaries, according to a major research study published yesterday. The introduction of traditional "phonics" teaching also reversed the national trend and saw boys outperform girls in reading, the seven-year study in Scottish schools found. The findings could have powerful repercussions for the way reading is taught in England. Although phonics teaching was reintroduced in the literacy hour in 1998, English primary schools do not use the rapid methods that produced such impressive results in Scotland. The study, which followed 300 primary schoolchildren from their first day at school until their first year at secondary school, found that while both sexes made above average progress, boys benefited the most. In England only 77 per cent of primary school leavers reach the required standard of reading and spelling for their age with boys (72 per cent) significantly behind girls (83 per cent). The Independent, online edition Feb. 12, 2005