ABSTRACT
Vocal anti-phonics commentators and vested interests continue to mar progress towards literacy for all in the United Kingdom (UK), but there are encouraging signs, such as the Phonics Screening Check and a greater acceptance of the fact that phonics is an important element in early primary teaching. In an effort to persuade schools to take on a synthetic phonics approach to early reading instruction, the UK government commissioned and released Letters and Sounds. It was offered free of charge to schools and contained a clear scope and sequence, a training manual, assessment sheets and a DVD to guide teachers. Some schools bought thousands of pounds worth of ‘phonics bits and pieces’ in place of a fully resourced phonics program. Scotland’s literacy levels have been declining since 2006 due to a lack of research-informed resources and training for primary teachers.
