Introduction: What, Why...then How?
Focused synthetic phonics teaching
Debbie Hepplewhite’s Online and its integration with wider
Synthetic Phonics Training Course reading, spelling and writing
‘Two-pronged systematic and incidental
[Link] phonics teaching and learning’
Module One: Module One: Part 1
a) International conclusions of research
• To be aware there is a wealth of research
The Systematic Synthetic Phonics with summarised recommendations – but
Teaching Principles despite the findings of international research,
it is still ‘chance’ as to the knowledge and
‘SSP’ understanding of teachers and the reading
and spelling instruction and experiences that
learners receive
What does ‘leading-edge’ reading and
Module One: Part 1
spelling instruction look like?
b) The Systematic Synthetic Phonics Teaching • Underpinned by the Synthetic Phonics Teaching
Principles Principles = principles ‘in common’ to the
leading research findings in the USA, Australia
• To establish a common (shared) and the UK, and studies of the leading phonics
understanding of the Systematic Synthetic programmes and practice
Phonics Teaching Principles including
language comprehension and building up • High consistent results achieved:
historic and recent research, national testing,
spelling word banks standardised testing, longitudinal studies,
objective teacher testimony, classroom findings
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International conclusions of research: UK Reading Reform Foundation
1. phonemic awareness
2. phonics For information about research
3. fluency
and topical message forum:
4. vocabulary enrichment
5. comprehension
Phonemic awareness is not a pre-requisite [Link]
- best developed in the presence of print
Susan Godsland’s award winning site Phonics International message forum
For evidence-based information: For guidance, information, topical
issues and pointers to research
[Link]
[Link]
International Foundation for Effective
Reading Instruction IFERI IFERI Aims
“IFERI – a new force in advocacy” To promote reading instruction informed by
scientific evidence of how best to teach all
“An international collaboration to
children to read: Systematically teach the
drive effective practice for literacy letter/s-sound correspondences of the
instruction” LDA, June 2015 English alphabetic code and the phonics skills
to decode and encode within a language-rich
[Link] and literature-rich environment.
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IFERI Aims IFERI Aims
IFERI will work to draw attention to IFERI will inform policy makers at all levels
ineffective practices that diverge from the about specific instructional practices that are
international findings of research: A non- inconsistent with, or contrary to, the findings
systematic approach to phonics along with of international research on reading.
multi-cueing reading strategies amounting to
guessing words from word shape, pictures,
initial letters and context is insufficient and
potentially damaging.
The Systematic Synthetic Phonics
First of all ... Teaching Principles
To synthesise means to blend – this
Let’s make sure that we’re all on the same page!
refers to the decoding/reading
What are the process, but the Synthetic Phonics
Teaching Principles include both
Systematic Synthetic Phonics
synthesising for decoding and oral
Teaching Principles? segmenting for encoding/spelling
S p e ll i ng ‘Phonically plausible spelling’
• Teachers sometimes express doubts about a
Not only are we teaching reading
phonics approach to teaching spelling saying
explicitly from the outset ...
that it makes spelling ‘worse’ as children
spell with phonically plausible versions of
... we are also teaching spelling
spelling – in effect, invented spelling.
explicitly from the outset
• This criticism will be fully addressed and
Debbie’s specific approach towards teaching,
This is fantastic – we need to see just modelling, supporting and marking spelling
how well we can teach spelling will be outlined during the course.
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The Synthetic Phonics Teaching Principles Incremental or simple code:
mainly one spelling
sounds
Teach: KNOWLEDGE of the ALPHABETIC CODE Systematic Sequence:
= the letter/s-sound correspondences • Introduce the 44+ sounds
*incremental sequence *the code is reversible in a specific order and mainly
one spelling = simple (or basic
or transparent) alphabetic code
THREE CORE SKILLS (‘sub-skills’ to follow ...) • Revisit the 44+ sounds (may be a
1. Sounding out and blending for reading different order) and introduce
further spelling alternatives and
2. Oral segmenting then alloting graphemes pronunciation alternatives
for identified sounds for spelling = complex (or extended
3. Handwriting (not in DfE ‘core criteria’) or opaque) alphabetic code
The sub-skills (reading) The sub-skills (spelling)
FOR DECODING: FOR ENCODING:
1) Model oral blending: “/k/ /ai/ /k/” “cake” 1) Model oral segmenting: “coat” “/k/ /oa/ /t/”
(Start with the parts, end up with the whole word) (Start with the whole word, end up with the parts)
2) Learners see the letter/s, and say the sounds 2) Learners hear the sound/s, then point to or
air-write or select grapheme tiles, or write the
graphemes (letters and letter groups)
paper grapheme
and pencil tiles
The sub-skills (writing) The SSP teaching principles APPLICATION:
• Apply growing phonics knowledge and all
FOR HANDWRITING: the phonics skills to CUMULATIVE words,
Recognise letters... sentences and texts
•shapes & orientation
•relative sizes Debbie’s guidance: plain texts without cues
•position on writing line
•capital and lower case
• Apply to reading with CUMULATIVE, decodable
Formation of letters... reading books as independently as possible
•directionality Phonics...
•finger tracing •link capital and lower case
•copying letters with their sounds • Apply to the wider curriculum when reading
•air-writing •learn about the difference and writing (+ teach incidental phonics with the
•write with correct pencil hold between ‘the alphabet’
•formation on writing line and ‘the alphabetic code’ two-pronged approach + alphabetic code chart)
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The SSP teaching principles AVOID: A CONTENT-RICH SYSTEMATIC
SYNTHETIC PHONICS PROGRAMME
Multi-cueing reading strategies which
amount to guessing the words ...
• Provides great opportunities for vocabulary
(that is, guess from the picture, guess from enrichment and development of language
the first letter/s, guess from the word shape, comprehension
guess from the context)
• Provides great opportunities for teaching
grammar alongside
... but pictures and context are used for • Should also be a spelling programme (and
supporting comprehension continue throughout primary as required)