Phonemic Awareness

Conducted in three phases, a study examined the teaching of reading in the early stages of primary school. The study was done by a research team from the University of St. Andrews School of Psychology, Scotland. Phase one explored methods of teaching reading and spelling in a sample of 12 schools within one Education Authority. Phase two examined the impact of analytic and synthetic phonics teaching (which teaches small groups of letters very rapidly) on reading, spelling, and phonemic awareness. Phase three compared the effects of phonemic awareness training versus synthetic phonics teaching on reading, spelling, and phonemic awareness. Results indicated: (1) increases in reading and spelling over and above those attained with analytic phonics; (2) reading and spelling skills were well above national norms in phase three; (3) synthetic phonics led to the best gains in phonemic awareness; and (4) the synthetic phonics method led to fewer underachieving children. (Contains 4 figures and 12 references.) (CR) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. oo csl c-c-1 zr