Like the proverbial bad penny, the debate on phonics has turned up again.
The Government, alarmed by the fact that one fifth of 11-year-olds are apparently unable to read, has appointed former Ofsted director of inspection Jim Rose to carry out a full-scale review of how reading is taught.
Indications already are that synthetic phonics (teaching children letter sound relationships before introducing them to books) will feature even more prominently within the national literacy strategy.
The review follows the 'success' of the synthetic approach in Clackmannanshire schools where, according to a recent report, children taught to read using this method were more than three years ahead of their peers by the end of primary school.
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