[EDLING:243] New Zealand: Old teaching method back in favour

[Francis M. Hult]

Stuff

Old teaching method back in favour

Schools are reintroducing old ways of teaching reading as research suggests 
that it may halt the widening achievement gap between boys and girls. 

Phonics, a teaching method replaced decades ago by whole language teaching, 
reversed the gender divide in a seven-year British study to be published in a 
book in August. 

The study found boys outperformed girls in reading and spelling when they were 
systematically taught synthetic phonics, an accelerated phonics programme. All 
students taught the programme read well above the average reading age - but at 
11, boys were about 9.5 months ahead of girls. 

Full story:
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