If you went to primary school before the year 2000, you probably learned to read the ‘old-fashioned way’. If that’s the case, congratulations.
Learning like that means recognising whole words instead of the individual sounds they’re made of. It’s harder and less effective, and takes longer to become fluent than the way most students have learned to read since the turn of the century.
Since then, phonics has become the standard method of teaching kids to read. But not without some resistance. For decades the best way to teach reading skills was debated by experts and educators.
Ongoing challenges in reading education
And while the argument went on, millions of children around the world were leaving school having not acquired the ability to read well, a challenge that limits youngsters’ future opportunities.
Until today, in low-income countries, over half of children struggle with reading. Even in wealthier countries like the UK, around 15% to 20% of school leavers face similar difficulties.
Unlike speaking, which children pick up naturally, reading is a skill that must be taught. And if literacy rates are to be improved, it must be taught effectively.
Phonics as the essential foundation
Fortunately, a team of researchers supported by Swindon-based UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has helped settle the debate by gathering evidence from over 300 studies on how skilled reading develops. And it involved phonics.
Led by Professors Kathy Rastle, Kate Nation and Anne Castles, the project produced a landmark article, ‘Ending the reading wars’, which offered a science-backed approach to reading instruction that is influencing literacy teaching worldwide.
The research shows that successful reading depends on mastering three key skills:
- decoding the alphabetic code, meaning phonics
- becoming fluent at recognising words
- understanding written text
