As a lifelong teacher of basic skills, I am delighted this essential part of learning to read is back in its rightful place.
Although the “blending” of sounds is certainly required, I cannot help thinking that the term “synthetic phonics” has an unfortunate implication of artificiality.
Although retired, I am still tutor of young pupils with learning difficulties and use My Books of Word Families that were published many years ago and quickly became bestsellers.
My pupils soon learn the difference between phonically-structured “sounding words” such as: c-a-t or h-a-t, and “sight words” that have to be learned as “wholes”, such as once and laugh, that cannot be “sounded”.
Why is so much of the vocabulary around reading unduly “jargonised”?
Nixie Taverner
28 Gooding Close Green Lane New Maiden, Surrey
