In the UK, we often hear people making anti-phonics claims in the media. Usually, these demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding of Synthetic Phonics. Mike Lloyd-Jones, in his book Phonics and the Resistance to Reading, lists these incorrect assertions and challenges them. Based on his book, here is how we can answer their claims: “The […]
Read MoreApproaches to Teaching Reading
Review of Mike Lloyd-Jone’s book ‘Phonics and the Resistance to Reading’
Here is a review on the Literacy blog by John Walker. This book is a must read book for anyone who believes in literacy for all. http://literacyblog.blogspot.co.uk/
Read MoreWhat is wrong with ‘look and say’?
Here is an excerpt from Mike Lloyd’s book ‘Phonics and the Resistance to Reading’ (page 42): “Recognising whole words by memorising the appearance of the word (sometimes known as the ‘look-and-say’ approach) is highly problematic. The capacity to remember words as whole-patterns is highly limited and in any case highly inefficient. As Professor Martin Kozloff […]
Read MoreWhy does Direct Instruction evoke such rancour?
To understand why many educators instinctively oppose direct instruction – read here http://www.nifdi.org/research/recent-research/hempenstall-blog/389-why-does-direct-instruction-evoke-such-rancour
Read MoreReconciling Common Core State Standards and Reading Research
This is an interesting document from the USA, written by Louisa Moats Ed. D about putting research at the core of raising standards of literacy. http://www.pps.k12.or.us/files/special-education/MoatsReconciling_the_CCSS_with_Reading_Research_OR.pdf
Read More10 Myths about Reading Instruction – actually 7/10 myth busters true
Read this article on the’Ten Myths about Reading Intruction’ by Sebastian Wren, PhD. It was written some time ago. Since then, phonic programmes have come a long way. So I don’t believe Myth 3- that phonic programmes are not the answer to teaching read is true any longer. good programmes and good training are absolutely the answer to […]
Read MoreFonics iz Krazie
Here is a good quote from Mike Lloyd’s book – ‘Phonics and the Resistance to Reading’ “Those who deploy the “phonics doesn’t work because our language in not phonetic” argument depend in part on concealing the fact that systematic synthetic phonics sets out to teach both the simple and complex code. These critics delight in […]
Read MorePhonics and the Resistance to Reading by Mike Lloyd-Jones
“From September 2014 the National Curriculum requires children in primary schools throughout England to be taught to read using systematic synthetic phonics. This is the first time that the National Curriculum has so explicitly and definitively established phonics as the required approach to teach reading. This book explains clearly why this change is so important […]
Read MoreDebbie Hepplewhite replies to Richard Garner of the Independent
Read here Debbie Hepplewhite’s robust reply to a shoddy article by Richard Garner of the Independent: http://phonicsinternational.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1528#1528 And Richard, if you would like to see how Synthetic Phonics helps dyslexic children to read, please come to the Bloomfield Learning Centre to observe my lessons. All our pupils learn to read. Mostly they have not been […]
Read MoreTeaching reading non words is be-ne-fi-cial
Some teachers claim that teaching children to read non words (nonsense words), as they appear in the Y1 phonics check, is a waste of time. But, actually, getting children comfortable with reading non words is really useful. When they decode multi-syllabic words they often need to read syllables that initially don’t make sense. They need to […]
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