Conclusions and recommendations
Teaching methods
Phonics
1. In
accordance with the available evidence, the DfES now seems to
have accepted that phonics is an essential methodology in teaching
children to read. The present debate revolves around the status
of phonics within early teaching of reading and the type of phonics
programme that should be used. (Paragraph 34)
Reading for pleasure
2. Whatever
method is used in the early stages of teaching children to read,
we are convinced that inspiring an enduring enjoyment of reading
should be a key objective. This can be endangered both by an overly
formal approach in the early years and by a failure to teach decoding.
(Paragraph 39)
Research evidence
3. In
view of the evidence from the Clackmannanshire study, as well
as evidence from other schools where synthetic phonics programmes
have been introduced, we recommend that the Government should
undertake an immediate review of the National Literacy Strategy.
This should determine whether the current prescriptions and recommendations
are the best available methodology for the teaching of reading
in primary schools. We therefore strongly urge the DfES to commission
a large-scale comparative study, comparing the National Literacy
Strategy with 'phonics fast and first' approaches. This study
should establish:
- the relative effectiveness
of approaches to teaching reading, such as synthetic phonics,
analytic phonics and the methods recommended in the National Literacy
Strategy;
- the effect of mixing phonics instruction with
other methods of teaching, compared to 'phonics fast, first and
only';
- how long any gains afforded by a particular programme
are sustained;
- the effect of teaching texts which go beyond
a child's existing knowledge of phonics compared to that of limiting
instructional texts to those within a child's current decoding
abilities;
- the effectiveness of different approaches with
particular groups of children, including boys/girls, those with
special educational needs and those with a high level of socio-economic
disadvantage.
The Study should:
- Measure and compare attainment
by means of standardised testing and not Key Stage test results;
- Measure attainment in all the components of literacy
(word recognition, reading comprehension, narrative awareness,
etc.); (Paragraph 0.?)
- Use control groups to take account of factors
which may have a bearing on reading outcomes, for example: teacher
knowledge and ability; socio-economic background; gender. (Paragraph
52)
Barriers to reading acquisition
4. The
figure of 20%, denoting those children unable to read at an age-appropriate
level at age 11, is derived from the Government's Key Stage 2
tests, a performance measure that has been challenged by those
who consider that results are necessarily inflated by teachers
'teaching to the test'. We recommend that the DfES commission
an independent evaluation of trends in reading standards among
primary school children which would make clear the scale and nature
of the problem faced, and provide a basis for further policy work.
(Paragraph 54)
Teachers
5. In
order to be really effective, teachers of reading must have an
understanding of the psychological and developmental aspects of
the reading process and how children learn to read. We recommend
that the DfES work with the Teacher Training Agency to review
initial teacher training (ITT) courses, ensuring that teachers
are fully aware of different approaches to the teaching of reading,
and what the research evidence says about the effectiveness of
these different methods. We further recommend that institutions
offering ITT should include modules about the literacy needs of
children at different stages of the process of learning to read
within the current 5 to 11 age span and that programmes of continuing
professional development should be made available to teachers
already in service. (Paragraph 60)
Early literacy skills and parental involvement
6. There
should be continued Government investment in training at all levels
in the Early Years sector (Paragraph 65)
7. Every setting outside
a home which offers early education should have a trained teacher
on its staff (Paragraph 65)
8. The stimuli a child
experiences before the time he or she enters primary school and
begins to be taught to read formally are vital to success in reading.
Early childhood development of communication skills and experiences
of literacy in its widest sense have a significant effect on a
child's preparedness to learn to read. Opportunities can be enhanced
through pre-school programmes and the engagement of parents to
provide educational development in the home. Recent initiatives
aimed at fostering this engagement have been shown to significantly
improve outcomes. In this context the Government's Every Child
Matters reform of children's services has a central role. (Paragraph
70)
Learning difficulties and disabilities
9. If
the Government wishes to make a real difference to the literacy
rates among primary school children, it must ensure that suitable
programmes are available to all those children who require intensive
support, and that they are delivered by highly qualified professionals.
(Paragraph 75)
10. Some evidence
suggests that intensive oral phonological awareness training programmes
may be of particular benefit to children at risk of reading difficulties.
We recommend that the DfES commission further research in this
area, to determine the effectiveness of the intensive support
programmes comprised within the National Literacy Strategy, compared
to other 'catch up' programmes. (Paragraph 77)
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