How effective is phonics?

Phonics approaches have been consistently found to be effective in supporting younger pupils to master the basics of reading, with an average impact of an additional five months' progress. Research suggests that phonics is particularly beneficial for younger learners (4−7 year olds) as they begin to read.

Does phonics really work?

Thus before children have even begun the process of learning to read, it is apparent that the path to success takes only one route, and that is through phonics. Synthetic phonics does work, and sounding out and blending can be a useful early strategy in reading words. But it is far from being the only strategy.

How useful is phonics?

It helps children hear, identify and use different sounds that distinguish one word from another in the English language. Written language can be compared to a code, so knowing the sounds of individual letters and how those letters sound when they're combined will help children decode words as they read.

Why did schools stop using phonics?

But in general, most reading education combines phonics and whole language (see and say) approaches. Back in the day, there were these “reading wars” about the best way to teach reading. Fluent readers read by sight, they don't “sound out” words, which is why that approach dominated teaching.

What are the disadvantages of phonics?

One of the disadvantages of phonics is that it may not focus enough on comprehension and engagement with the text. While phonics can help children decode words, it may not provide them with the skills necessary to understand what they are reading.

Understanding phonics: Why is teaching this way effective?

What are the criticism of phonics?

Critics say phonics training only helps children to do well in phonics tests – they learn how to pronounce words presented to them in a list rather than understand what they read – and does nothing to encourage a love of reading.

What replaced phonics?

What's newer is the “whole language” approach to reading. The idea is to teach words rather than letters. It was persuasive in the mid-20th century, when “Dick and Jane” books replaced phonics-based McGuffey Readers. In the whole-language approach, students are shown simple sentences and learn by logical association.

Why is phonics controversial?

Phonics, a method of correlating sounds with letters, may not seem like a controversial concept, but it's anathema in some academic circles. Many teachers dismiss the practice of sounding out words as old-fashioned drudgery that prevents children from loving literature.

Why phonics does not work?

The number one reason why some kids can't make phonics stick is that they have weak sound-symbol decoding. If a child has this problem, it means that their brains aren't doing a great job matching sounds with symbols. Some students will link sounds and symbols haphazardly.

Can a child learn to read without phonics?

Indeed, many kids figure out how to read on their own before reading instruction even begins at school. However, a minority of students won't learn to read without phonics and many students would read significantly worse without phonics.

Is phonics better than whole-language?

While we have over a dozen meta-analyses showing that phonics instruction works. There is little to no evidence that Whole Language or Balanced Literacy is more effective than a phonics focused or Structured Literacy approach.

Is phonics the only route to decoding?

It is essential that children are actively taught and supported to use phonics as the only approach to decoding. Other strategies must be avoided. Phonic decoding skills must be practised until children become automatic and fluent reading is established. Fluent decoding is only one component of reading.

Why is phonics hard to teach?

For experienced speakers, phonics is hard to conceptualize and explain because it's something that has become natural over the years. With the English language, there are so many rules and exceptions to the rules that it seems impossible to know everything, let alone teach someone else.

Is phonics evidence based?

Systematic phonics instruction has been used widely over a long period of time with positive results, and a variety of systematic phonics programs have proven effective with children of different ages, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

What percentage of students need phonics?

An astounding 40 percent are essentially nonreaders. Most are taught through phonics—a system of instruction based on sounding out letters that is mandated in at least 32 states and the District of Columbia. The phonics method of converting each letter to a particular sound is totally unsuited to the English language.

How long should phonics be taught daily?

Based on results from current research, focused, explicit phonics instruction should take 30 minutes daily in primary classrooms. Literacy expert Dr Timothy Shanahan looked at 18 studies of successful phonics instruction which ranged in time allocation from 15 to 60 minutes per day.

When did the US stop teaching phonics?

By 1930, phonics – meaning explicit teaching of the code – has been abandoned in most of the nation's classrooms. 1930 – 1965: Whole Word becomes the dominant top-down method for teaching reading in the United States.

When should phonics stop?

Although formal phonics teaching is usually complete by the end of Year 2, children continue to use their knowledge as they move up the school. 'The whole aim of phonics teaching is not just to learn the sounds, but to use them as a tool for reading and spelling,' explains Sara.

Why is my 5 year old not getting phonics?

Reading Help for Difficulties with Phonics

Ask the child to write letters and emails to friends and family. Get the child to read out each word that he or she writes. This will help reinforce the sound of each word in their mind. Make sure that younger readers know the alphabet and the sounds of the letters very well.

Is the science of reading not just phonics?

Journalists are increasingly recognizing that the “science of reading” extends beyond phonics to include building the knowledge that enables comprehension. But they need to get more specific about what that looks like.

What is the most effective way to teach reading?

Why synthetic phonics doesn t work?

The majority of teachers are now reporting the more frequent use of the narrower synthetic phonics approach. England's synthetic phonics approach requires a too heavy emphasis on teaching about phonemes (sounds), and so minimises attention to other vital aspects of teaching reading.

Is balanced literacy the same as phonics?

Balanced literacy usually includes phonics but focuses more heavily on getting students to love reading at an early age. It employs the theory that students learn to read by reading and through exposure to rich literature.

What type of phonics is most effective?

Systematic and explicit phonics instruction is more effective than non-systematic or no phonics instruction. Systematic and explicit phonics instruction makes a bigger contribution to children's growth in reading than instruction that provides non-systematic or no phonics instruction.

Is phonics making a comeback?

By the start of this school year, ExcelinEd found at least 30 states, including Washington, D.C., and New York City, the nation's largest public school district, required phonics-based "science of reading" policies to address the sagging scores.