Children and reading

Twenty per cent of children leave primary school unable to read well. So what's the answer, and how can parents help? Susan Elkin reports

Reading is the key to all other learning. Books, labels, notices, instructions, magazines, newspapers, film subtitles, computer screens - wherever you look for information you need to be able to read fast and fluently. You cannot get on in other subjects unless you can read. So how is your child being taught to read and what can you do to help?

Experts don't agree on what works best. Ruth Miskin, former head teacher of Kobi Nazrul school in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and author of a series of books called Superphonics, is convinced that the system known as 'synthetic phonics' should be systematically and quickly taught to every five-year-old in the first Reception term.

Synthetic phonics recognises 44 variously spelled sounds, known as phonemes. Children learn for instance that 'oa' (in oats and foal), 'ow' (in mow and below) and 'ough' (in dough and though) all make the same sound, as does the 'sh' part of 'shell', 'splash' and 'dashed.' They are taught to combine phonemes to make and read words. 'It's fun,' Ms Miskin says. 'And it works, even for the three in every class who usually trail and fail.'

A group of 300 11-year children in Clackmannanshire, Scotland was taught this way six years ago. They are now reading three years ahead of children in other schools where different schemes were used.