In 1998 two educational psychologists, Dr Joyce Watson and Professor Rhona Johnston, started a small pilot project in Scotland to see how effective Synthetic Phonics could be in teaching reading.

Seven years later they published their results. They had found that children taught using synthetic phonics could read better than children who were taught using a programme of analytic phonics.

One of the most surprising findings was that boys, who are trailing behind girls in reading, writing, comprehension, spelling and general education in all parts of the UK, ended up eight months ahead of girls in word reading by Primary 3 (Year 2) and seven months ahead over the following two years.

Rhona Johnston and Joyce Watson believe that Synthetic Phonics and the structured approach it needs to work properly is more suited to the way boys learn.

Both boys and girls were above their chronological age in spelling and reading comprehensions. And in the latter boys on the synthetic phonics programme were almost ten months ahead of their counterparts learning through analytic phonics.

No mean feat when you consider the research started out in schools where 30% of children were reading well below their age.

"Only a few are now lagging behind," adds Sandy Wilson, Clackmannanshire's head of Lifelong Learning.

How did they do it?

Schools saw themselves as having primary responsibility for ensuring that their pupils learned to read.

Children were taught the 42 letter sounds of the English language at the rate of six a day over eight days.

At the same time they were taught to identify letters in the initial, middle and final positions in words and to sound and blend words using magnetic letters (particularly enjoyed by the boys).

Children were assessed each year using the British Ability Scales Word Reading Test (Elliott et al 1977) and the Schonell Spelling Test 1952.

The system worked even for children with variable attendance levels in deprived areas. The training was so intensive that if a child came to school without their homework they were able to make up the gap at school the next day.

The Results

Overall: Boys and girls

• 3.5 years ahead of what was expected for their age in reading words
• 1.75 years ahead of that expected for their age in spelling
• 3.5 months ahead of that expected for their age in comprehension
• Disadvantaged children at P7 were still ahead of their peers by 5.8 months whilst more advantaged children had a 6.2month advantage.

Differences between boys and girls:

• Primary 3 boys pulled ahead of girls in word reading and by Primary 7 were reading 11 months ahead of girls.
• In primaries 4, 6 and 7 boys were spelling better than girls: 8.6 months ahead.

Recommended Reading

The Effects of Synthetic Phonics Teaching On Reading and Spelling Attainment: A Longitudinal Study by Joyce Watson and Rhona Jonston – Department of Psychology University of Hull, School of Psychology, St. Andrew's University. Published by the Scottish Executive, February 2005.
Available as a free download here»

Author: Mary Carson

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What Is Synthetic Phonics? | The Clackmannanshire Experiment | The West Dunbartonshire Project | A Guide for Head Teachers | Phonics Can Be Fun | Synthetic Phonics Is Not Enough | Why Synthetic Phonics Is Wrong For Our Children | Enthusiasm Is The Key | Phonics Help & Advice

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