phonics | Schools Week

Phonics boosts reading accuracy, study finds

Phonics has a “dramatic impact” on the accuracy of reading aloud and comprehension, researchers have claimed. A study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General today, tested whether learning to read by sounding out words (as done in phonics) is more effective than focusing on whole-word meanings. Researchers from the Royal Holloway, University of […]

Government abandons year 3 phonics check after trial prompts workload concerns

The government will not extend its phonics screening check re-takes to year three pupils after a trial run prompted concerns from teachers. Officials told Schools Week that a check for eight-year-olds will not be rolled out to all primaries following a pilot in which saw 51 per cent of pupils achieve the government’s ‘expected standard’. Pupils […]

Phonics check needs rethink after data shows ‘something dodgy’

The government’s phonics screening check needs an “urgent rethink” after new figures show “something dodgy” with scores, a policy expert has warned. Figures published last week show 81 per cent of year 1 pupils met the “expected standard” in phonics checks this year, up from 77 per cent in 2015. But the reliability of results […]

Phonics results rise again but writing falls behind at KS1

The government has reported a boost to year 1 phonics check results, but pupils’ writing standards are falling behind reading and maths. Department for Education statistics on the phonics check show that 81 per cent of year 1 pupils met the ‘expected standard’ this year, up from 77 per cent in 2015. The rate at […]