Sound start

The phonics method of teaching children to read has found a new surge of support. Simon Vevers wades back into the debate The debate over the effectiveness of phonics in teaching children to read has rumbled on for decades. But three recent developments have pushed it to the forefront once more: an Ofsted report warning of 'a tail-end of underachievement' in reading, a robust examination of the issue before the Commons education and skills committee, and a study claiming that pupils taught 'synthetic phonics' are more than three years ahead of their peers in their reading age.