ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the chapters 6 to 9 of this book in which the focus is on how primary school children are taught to read and write. In particular, synthetic phonics is examined, which is currently the preferred method in England. Examples are presented from classroom practice, phonics programmes and children's writings to illustrate how phonics teaching is done and how children engage with this method. Synthetic phonic teaches children to link letter sounds (phonemes) and letter shapes (graphemes) and to 'blend' (that is, combine) sounds into words. Learning to read and write involves more than understanding how sounds and letters combine. Children take part in a variety of literacy practices. They use and produce written texts in their science lessons and in religious education. Teachers are seen primarily as technicians, invited to faithfully apply programmes and strategies devised not by themselves but by 'experts' and researchers.
