Press for libraries, not phonics
Letter to the editor

Sent to the Independent, Sunday Times, April 3

According to the Sunday Times, a committee of MP’s

will propose that “synthetic phonics” be put at “the

core” of Britain's national reading strategy (“MPs

press for phonics teaching to boost literacy” April

3). The research this proposal is based on are a

series of a comparisons between two different

approaches to teaching phonics. This debate is thus

not about whether phonics teaching should be done, as

the misleading headline proclaims, but about which

form of phonics is best. Phonics makes a small

contribution to learning to read. In fact, Dr. Elaine

Garan of California State University at Fresno has

noted that heavy phonics instruction has no

significant effect on tests of reading comprehension

given to children after grade 1.

The most important factor affecting children’s

literacy development is whether children engage in

extensive recreational reading.  There are definite

signs that many children do not read a great deal

because they have little access to books. Chief

Inspector David Bell has pointed out that the standard

of school libraries in Britain is “so poor that

pupil’s education is being damaged.” (Feb 7, The

Independent).

A better investment of the committee’s time is to

investigate the quality of school libraries.

Stephen Krashen