The report will make for interesting reading for teaching professionals keen to explore evidence around effective teaching of young children.
Independent review of the teaching of early reading
Synopsis
This is the final report of the Reading Review, undertaken by the DfE in June 2005. Looking at evidence around the teaching of early years reading, it found that the systematic approach, which is generally understood as 'synthetic' phonics, offered the vast majority of young children the best and most direct route to becoming skilled readers and writers.
The report argues that while it is widely agreed that reading involves far more than decoding words on the page, words must nevertheless be decoded if readers are to make sense of the text. Phonic work is therefore a necessary, but not sufficient, part of the wider knowledge, skills and understanding which children need to become skilled readers and writers, capable of comprehending and composing text.
Many of the review's recommendations were implemented by government very soon after its publication: these included changes to the Primary National Strategy literacy framework and guidance and the publication of the Letters and Sounds resource.