Phonics teaching- argument? What argument?

I'm always slightly baffled by the incredibly ferocity of the arguments over synthetic phonics teaching.  There is no real argument; synthetic phonics work, the end.  Yet that does not stop people on both sides of the argument firing off pretty dreadful comments on forums and blogs. It is enough to make me pause before posting items about phonics and it is usually my blogs about phonics that get the most hits- though fortunately never any trolling because of my views!

I have to admit, when Letters and Sounds first came out I was deeply cynical. I thought, if it was that easy why weren't we all doing it decades ago? Now I just think, why weren't we doing it decades ago? Teaching phonics in a really systematic way works; it enables children to read and I really cannot see why people argue about it, as it is a fact. In my very long teaching career I have only ever met one child who completely failed to read learning phonics, but then he completely failed to learn to read at all. He had a very specific learning difficulty which meant his maths was fine but he was unable to remember letters or sounds and had to have the maths paper at Y6 read to him. That is one child out of hundreds who did not make a success of reading through phonics- not a scientifically conducted test, but pretty compelling none-the-less.

What I have seen is Year 1 teachers amazed at the jump in standards when Reception started teaching systematic phonics. Year 1 teachers could not get over how much better the new Year 1 children were after a year of phonics teaching. This was noticeable, not only in reading but writing too. By the end of Reception children can have a go at spelling any word they want to and whilst they won't yet know all the variables involved in spelling, they can make a pretty good stab at  some very complicated words. How amazing to be able to give children the gift of being able to write as well as read!

Some of the more anti-systematic phonics brigade seem to think that by teaching phonics you are not teaching a love of books. I do admit some of the very phonic based books are not great literature, but they serve a purpose, namely to support early reading through using phonics skills previously learnt. No-one is suggesting that children only read these sort of books, but merely that they learn to read with this type of text, as it supports them. They can then read plenty of other, wonderful children's books at the same time. So, for example, alongside learning Phase 3 phonics from Letters and Sounds in Reception, a child could be reading Shark in the Park by Nick Sharrett which amply illustrates the use of the /ar/ phoneme, or Mr Magnolia by Quentin Blake, which goes beautifully with Phase 5 /oo/ graphemes in Year 1.

Amidst all the arguing it seems to me that the essential fact has been lost, namely that phonics teaching is the tool not the end goal. The end goal is learning to read, which requires both phonics skills and comprehension. Once again,  good phonics teaching allows for this, with fantastic words littered across schemes such as Letters and Sounds.  Within the first weeks of phonics teaching children are learning words like nip, sap, din and nag and in order to read and write they do need to have the understanding of the word meanings that go with this. I know the decoding check seems to be demanding the opposite, with half of it being made up of 'nonsense' words, but these words will not improve reading standards, where as good phonics teaching will.

Then there is the argument that the test is biased against good readers. My son was one of those children, he was reading fluently by the end of Year 1. Having had excellent phonics teaching it made no difference to the outcome of the decoding check, he had just been taught that he should always use phonics as his first strategy, so that was what he did. Interestingly, in the word by word breakdown of the decoding check outcomes, it is always words with split digraph, whether nonsense or not , that have the lowest number of children read them correctly. The simple solution is to make sure teachers revise split digraph just before the decoding check. It would appear children are not phased by the nonsense words at all if they are used to using phonics as their first strategy when reading.

So you see I really do not understand the arguments at all (or why anyone has to be unpleasant about it, whatever their view). I have visited many schools as well as taught hundreds of children. Systematic phonics, when taught well, has meant great success for many children and there can be no argument in that.

Letter from a class teacher to a difficult parent- the response!

I know who you are, I’ve heard all about you and I’m not going to run away and hide. I will give you the time you need to talk to me, but it will have to be planned. I realise there is a lot you will want to say so I want to give you a proper opportunity to speak to me, not just a few snatched moments before or after school or in public.

I know you are a teacher and I respect your experience. I will listen to you when you let me know about the homework being too hard or too easy and I like the notes you write on it. It is very helpful to see what your child is doing at home and how much help he needs. I know that you understand the levels and the jargon and I will talk to you openly and honestly. I will tell you quickly if there is any sort of problem where I feel your child is not achieving as they should and not leave it until parent consultations to spring things on you. I will also tell you when your child is doing really well and show you things you will be proud of. 

I also know that you have particular expertise and whilst I understand you want to be a parent whilst at this school I will ask your opinion if it is relevant. I know you know a lot about reading for example, so if you think a particular book would be great for your child or the class, let me know.

I do know how able your child is, even though he has been hiding it a bit. Thank you for pointing some things out to me because I did not know about the maths, because as you say, he has not been taught it and therefore not used it in class. You mentioned he was reading a particular book at home so please encourage him to bring in books to school and to tell me about what he is reading. This term we are actually starting a challenge group for both maths and English and I am  going to put your child in those groups; I was going to include him before you told me about all the things he can do, but now I have even more evidence about him, it is very useful.

I completely understand about your anxieties over your child’s health issues. I did not know anything about Diabetes before he was in my class but I do now. I suggest you come in and we can have a long discussion ; we can ask you all the questions we need to ask and you can tell us all we need to know. We will also attend training and as many of us as can be released will go. This will ensure there is never an occasion when no-one knows what to do.  I will also ensure he is not missing lessons due to his condition and I will do this by keeping his medication in a safe place in the classroom, so that he does not have to go anywhere to deal with anything. I will make sure we have a good routine and if there is going to be any change in the routine or any cooking/eating activities I will discuss it with you first. I know the emotional aspect is hard for everyone to deal with and we will all follow the care plan and review it frequently.

Finally I want to say we value having you as a parent and we understand the needs of your child. All of the staff will do everything they can to support your child right through the school.

Difficult parents- are they born that way or do teachers create them? Part 1

Letter from a difficult parent

I am a difficult parent, in fact I am probably the most difficult parent you have to deal with. I am the parent you try and avoid, sometimes asking someone else to interrupt, so you do not get stuck with me. I am not actually a difficult person and in other contexts I am easy to deal with, but when it comes to my child and school I am your worst nightmare.

Firstly I know too much. I haven’t just looked up the information about schools and levels and national standards, I really know about them. I’m a teacher myself, so I know about where my child should be, the curriculum they should be covering and what the OFSTED report really means. They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but with my child, it is a lot of knowledge that makes it hard for you. You simply cannot fob me off with jargon or standard phrases because I can read between the lines. Please don’t give my child end of year levels that are ‘dumbed’ down so as to show more progress at a later stage. I will know when they are wrong and I will challenge you over them. You might see me as being demanding, but I just want things to be done properly.

You ought to remember that homework is my biggest link between home and school. What my child brings home is the clue to how well they are doing and what they have been covering in class. I might tell you that the reading book is too easy, but it’s not that I’m being difficult, I realise how hard it is to hear so many children read and make sure they are all reading books they should be reading, I’m actually just trying to help you, by pointing it out.  I will also write helpful notes on the homework, to show you where there was help given or where my child struggled. I do know it is different at home, where it is one to one, so I like to make it clear in order for the homework to be helpful to you when you mark it.

I am a difficult parent. My child is extremely able. He has not always shown you this in school, but I know it and I want you to know and understand it too.  He is a boy so he has done the ‘boy’ thing of only doing the minimum to get by, but I can see what he is capable of and I am going to tell you about it. I don’t mean to be rude, I know how busy you are, but he really is very bright and what he does at home does not seem to be reflected in the work he does at school. Have you noticed he can actually read fluently? That he can do some maths like ratio and fractions when I know he has not been taught them? Have you seen he uses words like created instead of made, or scrumptious instead of nice, and he spells them correctly? He is only six and he can do all this; it would be so wonderful if you could see how incredible he is too!

I am a difficult parent and this is what makes me the most difficult of all. I am anxious, all the time, with no let up, because my child has health issues. We are not just talking bad coughs or lots of stomach upsets. His health issues are complex and life threatening, all pervading and there is not a day that goes by when you won’t have to deal with them. He has Type 1 Diabetes so you have to watch him like a hawk, no exceptions. You have to give him injections and learn how to deal with counting carbohydrates when he eats. You have to manage the fact that if his blood sugar is too high he will be emotional and difficult and if his blood sugar is too low it is a medical emergency. You have to deal with all of this and I have to trust you to do it. It makes me anxious, I’m not sure you really know what you are doing and I’m entrusting you with my precious child. It makes me very difficult to deal with because I get very emotional and angry if things do not go how they should. He has a care plan and you should be following it. I know that the nature of Diabetes is that it is completely unpredictable but I am still entrusting my child into your care and I have to do this, even though it makes me fearful. How will I know that you can look after him properly? How will I know that you can keep him safe?

I am a difficult parent, how are you going to help me?

[Part 2- the response- next week]

Disability in fiction

Children with disabilities are few and far between in children's fiction. The only ones I could think of straight off was the boy in ‘A Curious Incident of the Dog in the night-time’ by Mark Haddon and of course ‘Katy’, both in the original by Susan Coolidge and the newly up-to-date version by Jacqueline Wilson . It is almost as if children with any sort of disabilities do not exist except in specialised books of the sort ‘I have Asthma’ or ‘I use a wheelchair’ variety.
I am aware of this lack, as my son has Type 1 Diabetes and he has one very American book of short stories in which diabetes is the defining factor in all the plots, rather than an incidental fact of life, as it is for him.  He likes this book and often asks for us to read it to him as a bedtime story, and he also likes the book entitled ‘Why do I feel tired’ also about diabetes. But he has no heroes who have diabetes, except the real life sporting hero Steve Redgrave and now Theresa May. Quite a few celebrities like Tom Hanks have announced they have Type 2, but not only does he mean very little to an 8 year old, it is also an entirely different condition. My son, like many other children with a range of disabilities, needs heroes in books to just be that way as a matter of course and deal with it in the way he does.
I’ve noticed on television there are now a range of characters with disabilities and rather than it being the plotline, they just happen to be that person with a particular difference.  That is really the crux of the matter; if managed well a disability is no longer disabling, rather something that just makes a child different. No-one looking at my son would even know there was anything out of the ordinary with him and his school has given him the chance to be entirely enabled rather than disabled by his condition. So where are these children in books?
Here is a challenge for you– if you cannot find the children with disabilities in books, write them in yourself. You meet them every day, you know them well, they are in your classrooms. Start telling stories about them and stop them being the invisible children– and send me a copy when you get published!

Guided Reading

I confess; I love guided reading. I never mind planning guided work and I certainly enjoy delivering it. I love choosing the texts and thinking about how the children are going to enjoy reading something new and exciting for the first time.  I like thinking about how to use the book to it’s best advantage, drawing out the richness of the text and the pictures.  Of course to be able to do that you do need the resources and the rich text and illustration. Book 4 level 6 simply will not do for really engaging children with reading and books.

I’ve seen some fantastic guided reading sessions and also some that were quite the opposite. Most of it came down to preparation and knowing the text. Just picking a book at the right level will not necessarily give you the results you need. For example, I observed a teacher using a simple phonically decodable text to try and teach objectives about plot and prediction. Needless to say, it did not work as there was almost no plot or prediction in the book. If she had used a book like Not now Bernard by David McKee, she could have got everything she wanted from the text.

There are two issues that particularly impact on the quality of guided reading; one of them is time for the teacher to read the book, particularly in KS2, and the other is having the resources there in the first place. You cannot however teach a guided reading session without having read the book and I never feel reading a book should be an arduous task, but rather a pleasure! With the issue of resources, many schools library services (where they still exist) have collections with multiple copies of books. They are always delighted to be asked and it tends to be a very underused resource.  I have also been known to trawl local libraries for multiple copies of texts as well!

So you have your book and you are all prepared. How do you go about getting the most from this session?

Book introduction: This does not always have to be “look at the cover, what do you think the story is about?” or reading the blurb. You can just introduce the book, talk about the author or just get stuck in without a huge preamble.

Strategy check, including any words that may be beyond readability at this point and reminders for using phonics as a first strategy and phonemes already taught. This is particularly important for KS1 and it is also an opportunity to introduce names as these are often not easily decodable.

Independent reading: the children now read, the book or a few pages/chapter. They have an objective as part of their reading, like what is the character of John really like? Or find all the ways the author sets the scene. They do not read as a round robin as then they are only engaged a sixth of the time and can easily switch off. During this time you can go around the group and hear a few of them read aloud.

Return to the text: this works well in pairs, when they discuss what they have found out from reading. It is important that a lot of this can be a personal response and that children understand there is not always a right or wrong answer, but rather opinion and justification using the text.

Response to the text: The whole group then gets together and discusses what they have read.

Many books will require more than one session to really understand fully and to actually read. With a larger book I would ask children to read it at home prior to the sessions, otherwise they lose the thread of the story and it takes forever to get through.

If you would like a copy of a guided reading plan for The Very Hungry Caterpillar please contact me on Twitter @phonicsandbooks.

Phonics teaching- why is there any debate?

It is odd, that with phonics very much a part of the English curriculum and well embedded in most schools, that there is still an anti-phonics  voice, which suddenly seems to have reared it’s head again recently.  

So what did phonics ever do for us and why is it still a topic of heated debate?

My experience is that all but a very, very few learn to read using phonics. In fact I can only think of one child who completely failed to learn to read using phonics. He went off to secondary school still not reading and he had very specific language difficulties. The Reading by Six OFSTED report (2010) clearly states that successful schools have rigorous and systematic phonics programmes, coupled with high expectations and their pupils learn to read regardless of social background or disability.

This bit about disability does seem to be a bit contentious; I hear many teachers bemoan the fact that the weakest children in the class just do not learn phonics and so are getting further and further behind. I have seen a child with Down’s Syndrome begin to read with phonics simply because he was present when the rest of the class were learning phonics. He had additional help but without the expectation that he could take part with the rest of the class, I do not think he would have begun to recognize letters. He was Year 2 and obviously not at the same level as his classmates, but he was beginning to recognise initial sounds, entirely due to being present when the class were being taught. I do not think he would have begun the journey if he had been taken out of every phonics lesson because he was not at the same level.

The seven year Clackmannanshire study by Johnston and Watson (2005) really set the systematic phonics teaching in motion. It resulted in the Rose Review and this lead to the publication of Letters and Sounds. The study found two particularly significant things: firstly that the gains made by children taught using systematic phonics  remained right up until Year 6. Secondly that children not taught at the same pace never caught up.

There seems to me to be no case for arguing against phonics with these two outcomes alone being a very strong case for teaching systematic phonics.  Yet teachers tell me again and again it is not suitable for all children and what about those children who are already reading when they come into school?  I say, how wonderful, already reading, that is great, but they still need phonics as firstly, they will be unable to decode more complex words without it and secondly, it can severely impact on spelling if they have no phonics skills by the time they enter KS2. I know a very bright and able child who learnt to read without phonics who finds spelling quite hard now he is in Year 3 ,as he has poorer skills in selecting the correct grapheme because he never needed to learn phonics when reading. I know another similarly bright child who learnt to read using phonics and he is now, not only a better reader but a better speller than his contemporary. He was reading fluently by the time he took the decoding check but it did not make any difference to the outcome of the check.

I genuinely do not understand why anyone would be against teaching systematic phonics. It works and helps children to read and write- what more do you need?

 

 

Writing about Writing

I have been thinking a great deal about the writing process recently.  This is mainly due to the fact I have been doing a lot of writing myself,  mostly about writing! I was asked to write a blog page about writing for one organisation and then very excitingly I was asked to write a book by a big publisher. Now I have always wanted to write a book and whilst this was not the book I had in mind (it’s non-fiction for children rather than fiction) it is all about writing fiction.

Writing your own book is a little like having a baby– you really cannot envisage what it will be like beforehand. The book I’ve written was just a selection of notes and scribbled pictures (I say pictures, but they bore no resemblance to true drawing!) and then some very talented designers turned my words into something amazing.

What struck me was how I had correctly conveyed my ideas in words to be turned into lavishly illustrated pages and  exciting activities. I must, therefore, have written something well enough to be understood clearly. There were comparatively few alterations I wanted to the proofs, which seemed astounding to me. I realised the power of a clear turn of phrase or precise instruction.

You cannot get every child published in order for them to realise this, but there are many platforms they can use, where to all intents and purposes, they are being published and can have a large audience of readers. It can be as simple as an article in the school newsletter, or a blog page, or a site like Lend Me Your Literacy. Suddenly they can have an audience who will respond.

Showing the proofs of my book to friends and family I got my first audience for my book, my new baby. Of course my brother noticed a tiny spelling error I had not spotted but that was useful as it was in time to be corrected. Their comments did not feel like criticism– it felt like help. If we can train children to be the same sort of help to each other, just imagine the value of peer support in class.

My excitement at having accomplished this writing was unmatched. I write all the time, including for my own pleasure, but nothing came close to this excitement of having a proper book published.  I’ve never experienced a feeling quite like it– I’m sure the people I met at the publishers thought me quite mad when I kept saying how much fun it all was. I’d found, not only writing for a purpose, but writing for pleasure combined and how I wanted to transmit that to children.

I can always remember enjoying writing. When I was six I had a teacher who never seemed to check up on what we were doing.  I was not that keen on maths so I scarcely did any maths that year. Instead I wrote, I wrote books, pages and pages of stories. Many off my stories were in ‘chapters’ and about a magical snowman. I wrote virtually a whole exercise book about this snowman. It was my first ‘book’ and I was so proud of it. I can’t remember anyone doing anything to make me love writing, I just did.  I know many children are not like that, but if you start young, I’ve seen whole classes of nursery age children passionate about writing and wanting to communicate their ideas for other people to read and enjoy. 

So I am really excited about my first proper book. I know it will be a never to be forgotten experience. I hope there will be lots of children who manage to achieve that same joy in writing that I have.

Write Your Own Book will be published by Dorling Kindersley towards to the end of the year.