Improving the learning and teaching of early reading skills - Estyn

Improving the learning and teaching of early reading skills
June 2007
Background
11 Reading is a highly complex activity involving a number of processes, including word
recognition and comprehension. Word recognition is the process of perceiving how
written symbols correspond to the spoken language. Comprehension is the process
of making sense of words, sentences and connected text. Readers also make use of
their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar and their wider experience with texts in
order to help them understand the written word.
12 The importance of gaining reading skills has led researchers and teachers over many
years to consider different approaches in order to find the most effective and
successful learning and teaching methods. It is probably true to say that more has
been written about the teaching of reading than any other area of work in schools.
13 Over the past fifty years, schools have used different methods to teach reading. In
the 1950s, phonics was the preferred method of teaching reading in most schools in
the UK. Pupils had to master the initial sounds of the alphabet and then blend them
together to produce words. By the 1970s, an approach known as ‘the look and say’
method became widespread. Pupils focused on learning whole words and
sometimes whole sentences. As their repertoire of words and phases extended, so
too did the range of books they read.
14 In the 1980s, the findings of research into cognitive development, which is the
process of acquiring knowledge and reasoning, strongly influenced the teaching of
reading. Pupils were encouraged to use their knowledge of the world and the context
of the story to help them attempt unfamiliar words and make sense of what they read.
Many schools moved away from using a reading scheme, which grades books
according to their level of difficulty. Some schools used a method, usually referred to
as the ‘real books’ approach, which promoted individualised reading. Pupils were
able to choose from a wide range of individual books that were not a part of a reading
scheme.
15 Since the 1990s, there is general agreement that no one method of teaching reading
is suitable for all learners. Currently, most schools use a mix of different approaches,
although staff may emphasise one approach more than others in their teaching. At
the beginning of the 21 st century, the debate about effective ways to teach reading
continues. The focus of recent debate has been on the most effective way of
learning and teaching phonics. In Wales, schools are not required to use a particular
method or methods to teach children to read. They are able to determine how to
teach pupils to read.
16 While there are different views about the most effective way to teach reading, there is
widespread agreement about the type of learning experiences pupils should have by
the time they are five. These experiences are set out in the Desirable Outcomes for
Children’s Learning before Compulsory School Age as:
• listening to a good story;
• choosing a book and holding it the right way; and
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