The UK incarnation of the Reading Reform Foundation provides a glimpse into some of the thinking supporting systematic and synthetic phonics. Here’s clip from it’s home page:
You are entering fascinating territory as these are very exciting times regarding the debate on how best to teach beginning reading in English-speaking countries. English is taught in many countries as an additional language and so people across the world are following this debate with great interest.
Tragically, a look into the history of teaching reading in the English language reveals dramatic changes of mainstream teaching methods based on various fads, philosophies and myths – often led by charismatic characters with apparently plausible ideas (e.g. whole word ‘Look and Say’, whole language, real books, analytic phonics, balanced literacy, mixed methods) – all approaches with no scientific research base.These various teaching methods are now accepted by the United Kingdom, American and Australian governments as being flawed. The need for the evidence-based synthetic phonics teaching principles to teach the alphabetic code has, at last, been officially recognised at government level in these countries. It seems unbelievable, therefore, that there continues to be relentless intransigence, subversion and misunderstanding amongst leading educational groups regarding the need for synthetic phonics basic skills instruction.
Debbie Hepplewhite, who edits this site, has assembled lots—many lots—of resources. Link to the UK RRF.
Update (9 May 2008): In back-channel communication, I’ve learned that Ms. Susan Godsland is the person who researches and maintains the links. Nice work, Ms. Godsland! Sphere: Related Content
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