http://www.rrf.org.uk/pdf/History%20of% ... 20Chew.pdf
Thank you to Jenny Chew for this very succinct and helpful paper describing some key developments in reading instruction over the past 25 years.
The paper takes us to 2007 and so we need some updates such as the government's match-funded phonics initiative and the introduction of the statutory Year One Phonics Screening Check and its findings to date.
What it does not touch upon is the battle it has been to raise awareness of systematic synthetic phonics teaching, to gain the interest of politicians, and to change the content of Initial Teacher Education!
There is still great variety in our schools in terms of competence, commitment and effective teaching and learning.
Many teachers still do not have a full, or shared, understanding of the role and potential of phonics teaching - and that phonics is not just 'baby stuff' or the domain of infant teaching alone.
I suggest that we haven't even begun to explore the importance of phonics for learners for whom English is a new language - and who may have very different sounds of speech in their mother tongue.
Most news articles on phonics take a side-swipe at phonics and the statutory screening check.
It is very difficult to grab the media's attention regarding the changes occurring in our schools in terms of results -and to seek articles from pro-phonics people!
During the past week, for example, senior managers from two special schools in two completely different parts of England have reported to me that their latest pupils and cohorts of pupils are very noticeably stronger with their phonics and reading despite their learning difficulties.
The staff at these schools have expressed surprise at what various pupils can do as they did not think that such pupils could achieve these things - and this was thanks to the uptake of phonics in mainstream schools (from where the pupils have been transferred).
The leaders of the teaching unions present as lacking any deep knowledge and understanding about reading and spelling instruction and the importance of phonics and the importance of objective national testing. This beggars belief!
We have made huge progress in recent years, but how utterly extraordinary that English-speaking countries, in the main, abandoned teaching the alphabetic code of the language.
Dr Joyce Morris coined the phrase 'phonics phobia' back in the 1940s I believe - and I would still suggest it is evident in abundance to this day!
England: Some history of developments in literacy
England: Some history of developments in literacy
Debbie Hepplewhite
http://77.72.0.162/~triftcom/journals/j ... sfobia.php
Dr Joyce Morris's history takes us even further back.
And yet I recognise so many factors reported by Joyce to this day, one of which is actually lack of proper understanding about the nature of the spoken language relative to the written language.
This is why I suggest the very starting point is a comprehensive Alphabetic Code Chart to study and provide the rationale and overview of the English alphabetic code - the links between the smallest sounds of our speech and the many spelling alternatives.
I read new literature written by people purporting expertise in literacy and reading instruction - designed for our teacher-training universities - and it is riddled with errors and, may I add, 'phonicsphobia'.
I am so pushed for time with the breadth of my work but I intend to review such literature for student-teachers because it really is found wanting.
Meanwhile, articles such as Dr Joyce Morris's (see the link above) are very interesting and important - and in many ways just as 'current'.
Dr Joyce Morris's history takes us even further back.
And yet I recognise so many factors reported by Joyce to this day, one of which is actually lack of proper understanding about the nature of the spoken language relative to the written language.
This is why I suggest the very starting point is a comprehensive Alphabetic Code Chart to study and provide the rationale and overview of the English alphabetic code - the links between the smallest sounds of our speech and the many spelling alternatives.
I read new literature written by people purporting expertise in literacy and reading instruction - designed for our teacher-training universities - and it is riddled with errors and, may I add, 'phonicsphobia'.
I am so pushed for time with the breadth of my work but I intend to review such literature for student-teachers because it really is found wanting.
Meanwhile, articles such as Dr Joyce Morris's (see the link above) are very interesting and important - and in many ways just as 'current'.
Debbie Hepplewhite