Education secretary Ruth Kelly announced that former Ofsted director of inspection Jim Rose would lead an independent review of the role of synthetic phonics and support for children who had the greatest reading difficulties.
Mr Rose is to look at techniques in teaching reading and make recommendations based on academic research, reports by Ofsted and the Education Select Committee, and best practice in early years settings and schools.
He will provide an interim report by November, with final recommendations in January on best practice in the content and pace of teaching reading and synthetic phonics in primary schools and early years settings, and how it fits with the development of the birth-to-five framework.
The review follows a report from the House of Commons Education Select Committee in April, which found that one in five 11-year-olds is failing to meet expected standards in reading. The committee said that such a level was 'unacceptable' and called for an overhaul of the national literacy strategy.
The review will also examine a study from Clackmannanshire in Scotland (News, Nursery World, 24 February), which found that children taught synthetic phonics were more than three years ahead in reading for their age at 11.
Ms Kelly said that synthetic phonics was already 'at the heart of early literacy teaching'. She said, 'The debate now centres not on whether to teach phonics, but how. Synthetic phonics, properly taught, can and does play an important part in reading skills.'
However, early years literacy consultant Marian Whitehead said a move towards an overemphasis on phonics was 'very disturbing' and that there seemed to have been an 'over-simplification' of the Clackmannanshire research. She warned against 'drilling children in a very specific way' and said that phonics did not 'instil in children a passion for language or make them life-long readers'.
She added, 'Clearly, at the end of the Foundation Stage, when children are getting up to six, they can benefit from phonics. But it only helps them so far.'
Marion Dowling, president of Early Education, said she was wary of the Government 'latching on' to synthetic phonics as the only approach. 'Staff should have expertise in a number of ways of teaching children to read. The danger is that schools will pick this up as the way forward and throw out other ways,' she said.
Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT, welcomed the appointment of Jim Rose to lead the review. 'He has a good track record in education circles.
NASUWT hopes the outcome of the review will offer an informed and practical way forward for teachers rather than a prescriptive straitjacket. Teachers must be able to use their professional judgement on what is appropriate for the pupils they teach.'
