Synthetic phonics and the teaching of reading

Bibliographic Data

ID11161007
AuthorsDominic Wyse (0000-0001-8888-9032, University of Cambridge, corresponding author), Upasana Goswami (0000-0001-7858-2336, University of Cambridge), Usha Goswami
Year2008
Volume34
Issue6
Pages691-710
Publication date2008-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Educational Research Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0141-1926 • E-ISSN: 1469-3518
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01411920802268912
OpenAlexW2158110467
LanguageEN
Citations received24
References cited53

A review of the teaching of early reading in England commissioned by the UK Government recommended that synthetic phonics should be the preferred approach for young English learners. In response, all English schools have been told to put in place a discrete synthetic phonics programme as the key means for teaching high‐quality phonic work. In this paper we analyse the evidence presented by the review to support the change to synthetic phonics. We show that the review provided no reliable empirical evidence that synthetic phonics offers the vast majority of beginners the best route to becoming skilled readers. We analyse the available empirical evidence in English, and show instead that the data support approaches based on systematic tuition in phonics. There is also evidence that contextualised systematic phonics instruction is effective. However, more research is needed, particularly with typically developing readers, in order to determine whether contextualised systematic phonics is more effective than discrete systematic phonics

Linguistics · Mathematics education · Phonics · Primary education · Reading (process) · Computer Science · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Neuroscience and Music Perception · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development