RALI article - description of 'phony phonics'

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debbie
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Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:28 pm
Location: UK

RALI article - description of 'phony phonics'

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http://web.me.com/viccharlton/Reading_a ... art_2.html

This is a clear and helpful article written by Vic Charlton available to view from the RALI website.

It illustrates the need to be able to evaluate the content of phonics programmes beyond their apparent 'glossiness' and 'attractiveness'.

There are a huge number of phonics programmes (programs) available to select from - and it's all too easy to assume that major publishers will have produced the most desirable of these - this is not necessarily the case!

Whilst a good phonics programme may be very well-produced and 'glossy' - and very entertaining (especially to young learners) - this does not guarantee its effectiveness.

People also have to be aware of glossy published reports. You can read about the controversy surrounding programmes like Reading Recovery which, to this day, is promoted by institutions and even our (current) UK government for intervention purposes - very inadvisedly in my opinion.

Anyone who is interested to read more widely about issues surrounding the teaching of reading might be interested in the following websites which link to the research on reading - and thus to the importance of the need to evaluate programmes before choosing them!

www.rrf.org.uk (UK Reading Reform Foundation site)

www.dyslexics.org.uk (Susan Godsland's reference-packed site)

To date, Phonics International is entirely independent of any publisher. The only reason that we may consider a relationship with a major publisher in the future is for the purpose of putting an entirely practical and helpful phonics programme into more people's hands because of an effective promotion machine.

I am increasingly receiving emails where people are saying to me, "Why haven't I heard of Phonics International before now?"

The answer is that, thus far, we have not advertised beyond existing on the internet!
Debbie Hepplewhite
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