Why synthetic phonics was a natural winner

In the seven years since the words “synthetic phonics” were first heard in the staffrooms and classrooms of Clackmannanshire, Scotland, many news stories have reported on the authority’s success in improving pupils’ reading skills. The most recent report strengthens that view: results at the P7 stage indicate that pupils’ reading and spelling ages are, respectively, 42 months and 21 months ahead of chronological age. An unexpected result of the same study shows that from P4 onwards, boys outperformed girls. Find out more in The Scotsman (U.K.).