ABSTRACT
It is not possible to describe definitively the teaching of literacy in any one jurisdiction. There are so many variables that may impact teaching that, in the end, each child is taught uniquely. But that is not very helpful for understanding the reality of education. There may be nationally laid-down curriculums or programmes of study, such as in England which, on the surface, lead to assumptions that one can be precise about the way children are taught to read in a country. However, even when these are in place, modifications and adaptations are likely to occur. The teaching that children receive will be dependent on such variables as:
the age pupils are when they enter an educational setting;
the age children are when they begin to receive formal literacy instruction;
the number of children in a class;
the number of teachers and other adults in a class and their qualifications;
physical organisation of the classroom;
the resources available to the teacher;
the orthography of the language of instruction;
and of course the pedagogy.
