READING
Programmes that work
What works
in teaching
reading
The evidence points towards the benefi ts of changing
daily teaching practices, writes Robert Slavin
EVERY YEAR, bright and enthusiastic children
Reading reform means investing in teachers, giving them
enter Reception throughout the UK. Whatever
their backgrounds, these children fully expect
effective tools and strategies to ensure that every child gets
to succeed in school. Their defi nition of
a fi rm phonetic base as well as strategies to comprehend all
success, the schools’ defi nition, their parents’
sorts of texts, to build fl uency, to develop vocabulary and,
defi nition and society’s defi nition are all the
same: success in primary school primarily
most importantly, to love to read
means success in reading.
Everyone knows the importance of University in the US created a set of We examined all studies carried out since
success in reading, and everyone knows systematic reviews that consider existing 1970 in all countries, as long as the reports
that the quality of reading instruction research on reading programmes. These were available in English. A total of 240
children receive can mean the difference reviews are on a newly launched UK website studies met our standards. About 90% were
between success and failure. In the UK, the called the Best Evidence Encyclopaedia, or done in the US and Canada, but there were
government has spent billions of pounds the BEE (www.bestevidence.org.uk). The several high-quality UK studies as well as
in recent years to upgrade the teaching of BEE provides easy-to-read, brief summaries studies from other European countries and
reading. In light of the stakes involved, for of evidence on what works in education, Australia.
children and for society, you would imagine as well as full reviews. We have completed Across the individual reviews, the fi ndings
that there would be a great deal of research reviews of beginning reading (Key Stage 1), fell into a consistent pattern. The highlights
and development going on to identify upper primary reading (Key Stage 2), and were these:
effective reading programmes and practices. secondary reading (Key Stage 3 and 4), Phonics is necessary but not suffi cient for
Much research has, in fact, established as well as a review of programmes for effective reading programmes. Successfully
the general outlines of what should struggling readers in the primary years. evaluated programmes almost all
be emphasised in reading: phonemic In order to be included in the reviews, emphasised systematic, synthetic phonics;
awareness (knowing how sounds become studies had to meet a set of common-sense as the UK Rose Report and the National
words), phonics comprehension, vocabulary, requirements: Literacy Strategy have recommended.
and fl uency. Yet how much do we know
●
Pupils using each innovative programme However, many ineffective programmes also
about the actual programmes available had to be compared to children who used emphasised phonics. Other aspects of the
to teachers to help their children become ordinary methods. programmes were also critical.
successful and joyful readers?
●
Pupils using each programme had to be Most of the textbooks and ICT software
well matched with those using ordinary used in the UK and elsewhere have never
The Best Evidence Encyclopaedia methods. been evaluated. However, across 24 studies
(The BEE)
●
Measures had to be fair to all groups (not of textbooks and 52 studies of ICT, it became
In order to fi nd out what works in teaching inherent to the innovative programme). clear that simply adopting a different book,
reading, my colleagues and I at the
●
The programmes had to be evaluated for at curriculum scheme, or ICT programme made
University of York and Johns Hopkins least 12 weeks; preferably a year or more. little difference in reading outcomes.
4 Better: Evidence-based Education spring 2009
Better Spr09 pp04-05 WhatWorks.indd 4 20/4/09 09:14:25
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