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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what revisions to the National Literacy Strategy he is undertaking to ensure primary schools meet the Government's targets for reading; and if he will make a statement on the prevalence of synthetic phonics teaching in schools. [144490] Mr. Stephen Twigg: The National Literacy Strategy (NLS) has dramatically increased the Key Stage 2 reading results. Since 1998 there has been a 10 percentage point increase in the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level for their age in the Key Stage 2 English tests, with an increase of 10 percentage points in reading. There have also been increases in reading results at Key Stage 1, with a 7 percentage point increase in the percentage of pupils achieving level 2B or above in the Key Stage 1 Reading tests since 1998. The work of the NLS is now being taken forward within the wider context of our Primary Strategy, as set out in "Excellence and Enjoyment". The emphasis that the Primary Strategy places on phonics in teaching children to read has had a direct impact on the reading results at both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The Primary Strategy adopts the `Searchlights' model of reading, which advocates that children should be taught to read using synthetic and analytic phonics as well as other strategies such as knowledge of grammar and context. We will continue to support the teaching of phonics, and will be producing a supplement to "Progression in Phonics" next spring through the Primary Strategy.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

144490; 415 c960-2W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Primary education Reading Standards Literacy Teaching methods

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk