Just sixty one sounds and one hundred words – Is ERR a phonics reading revolution?

Posted on October 2, 2007
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Some people this may seem like old hat, but the more we hear about the endless education debate and a ‘crisis of literacy and numeracy’ the more this programme intrigues. After all, it is quite a claim, that by learning about 61 sounds and 100 words children will be equipped to access 50% of the vocabulary of all books, whether written for adults or children. Moreover, they also claim to reduce the incidence of ‘perceived’ reading problems from 20-25% of the student body, to something close to 2%, and eliminate the effects of social differences among learners. Where are the education policymakers and politico’s when there are questions to be answered? Not to mention the synthetic phonics crusaders.

A Little background for the uninitiated:

The claims, made by researchers at the Early Reading Research Project (ERR) led by Dr. Jonathan Solity of the University of Warwick, are backed up with seven plus years of data and swathes of satisfied parents, teachers and a few relieved local authorities. We can only presume that the children concerned are too immersed in their chosen ‘real’ reading materials to be bothered to comment. Whether that means noses in comics, football programmes, Insect Dissection Manuals or ‘Bling Faux Pas’s for Minors’, it’s all happy clappy stuff to us. If it works, wunderbar. The question is, if the claims are substantiated, and there appears to be little in the way of published doubt, why can we discern no corresponding educational clamour? It seems as though the great hue and cry of the for progress from synthetic phonics choir is oddly muted, as are the education policymakers and politicians who would normally do their amplified town crier gig at the slightest breath of good education news. Are we waiting for more results to come in,? Is there a ghostly shadow of exposure at the feast? A hint of family in fighting perhaps, or are we missing something here? Why is eveyone not demanding answers from such apparently robust research. Maybe it’s the questions.

The basis of the program, as we understand it is as follows: basic phonics skills look pretty much like synthetic phonics. Children learn the base 44 phonemes plus about 19 other frequently used common speech units to decode the 100 highest frequency words, as determined by a comprehensive analysis by the team, of children’s and adult literature. Those words that are not ‘regular’ and cannot be decoded according to synthetic phonics rules, are introduced slowly and learned by sight.

So far, so like synthetic phonics, but there are some fundamental differences. The real benefits of ERR come from an initial rigorous application of the synthetic phonics principles to develop a child’s phonics skills, but these are supplemented by a carefully designed instructional based on theri cognitive psychology research. Once the phonemes and high frequency words are upto scratch, learners progress to what the researchers call ‘real books’. That is, unlike most poor readers trapped in traditional synthetic phonics skills oriented reading schemes, they become what Dr. Solity describes as ‘free readers,’ able to develop their newly acquired skills and vocabulary to access a huge range of commercially available children’s literature.

The learning strategy is based on a principle of ’short and often’, such as four short (10-12 minutes) sessions spread throughout the day, with each session concentrating on a different aspect of the programme. Teachers are trained to pick up faltering or struggling pupils and support there development with remedial exercises. Unlike most other reading schemes, failing pupils receive appropriate support as a part of the whole class. There is no need for one-to-one special educational needs style strategies. The research team claim that that incidence of perceived reading difficulties has fallen from the norm of 20-25% range to more like two percent, and in doing so, virtually eliminated the effect of social differences between young learners. (An issue worthy of an extended debate)

The ERR appears to be developing into a remarkable success and may point the way towards general policy design. The project results are impressive and add to the growing body of evidence that Synthetic Phonics based reading strategies are the most effective method of literacy tuition for the broadest range of children. Is it a magic bullet? Probably not, but if average teachers can be trained to achieve similar results, or at least substantial uplift, then maybe we really are developing a genuine potential avenue to address the UK’s chronic literacy performance.

As for the downside, we’ve heard some whispers that the phonics bit is rigid and boring. We could respond, ‘So what.’ Three months would seem a small price for the reward of being equipped with the single most important skill for a productive life. But we won’t. Rather, we’ll open it up to informants and others in the know to illuminate us as to the current state of play in educational circles and covens. It also occurs to us, with our techno tinted specs on, that with the with the development of interactive technologies, the drills and skills development aspect could easily be integrated into rather more exciting games style activities. Also, given that the schedule seems to be a fifteen minute session, repeated several times a day, comprised of a series of carefully designed two minute drills during which the little mites are engaged to respond second by second, it would seem to leave precious little opportunity for boredom or tantrums. The results do speak for themselves.

Although there are no sure things as there are too many variables involved in a education outcomes, the Early Reading Research Project looks like a potential winner and demonstrates the simple power of systematic application of clear well designed learning strategies. Parents should be in the know and administrators demanding access to information and answers. Where it is reasonable to expect a stampede of curiousity, especially from the state sector, there is a respectful distance.

But as we indicated at the outset, the apparent underwhelming response does raise quite a few questions….oh yes and they are also using the same type of strategy for numeracy….even more interesting, and curious.

All of that guessing leaves them adrift

Posted on August 19, 2007
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It has come to my attention that many of the young who seem to be strugggling with reading have a bit of an attention problem. It seems to be particularly, although not exclusively, young boys. Whenever we invite them to read a simple CVC word such as SIT, they try decoding but if there’s a problem, the guessing begins, quickly followed by the goofing off. They do like to distract attention from their discomfort, these little tykes. It’s clear that they have no systematic approach to decoding the text and building a framework. They get a few correct but when a problem arrives (usually very quickly) it’s guess and goof time.

They shout out words they know, rather than analyse the symbol sequence on offer. Clearly they are not ‘reading’ the code, so much as responding to the sound and letters they might know and throw out words they are familiar with as guesses….sometimes these guesses have no relation to the challenge in front of them……at this point, diversionary tactics are close. It’s obvious that these kids have not developed any kind of logical analysis and sequencing skills, in addition to having insufficient familiarity with the basic phonetic code.

This would suggest to us a need to ensure that children know and recognise all of the 44 phonemes and are systematically introduced to blending. These phonemic skills are prerequisites for progress and crucial for a child to develop confidence and so begin to enjoy exploring language and text, not develop a sense of foreboding everytime literacy activities loom.

We confess that, here in the glade, we like plenty of attention and we cannot do our stuff if the children don’t recognise us or know our names. Spare a thought for all of those shy letters. They come out to play and little Johnny or Jemima have no idea which is which, and get all confused when a couple of letters stick together in a blend or short word. It’s most distressing for all concerned and only emphasises the need to pay extra special attention to the basics.

FruitPhonics - sounds like singing in an orchard….

Posted on July 11, 2007
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There’s some singing, dancing and splatting too, but this is not Verdi for apples or Issaac Newton giddy with cerebral delight. FruitPhonics is a strand of a larger project by Mennell Media, designed to develop entertaining, multiplatform interactive learning content. In contemporary education, despite the hyperbola of the natives with careers to make and products to sell, the paradigms remain resolutely old world. So we thought that it would be worth us having a little go at applying our interactive animation and internet technology to design a few little pieces of learning content as an experimental product. Several years later…… well, we’ll leave the soap opera for another time.

FruitPhonics is the result of the ‘Early Learning’ literacy strand. Initially designed for an interactive client application, we converted some of the material to compressed video to complement the soon to be released interactive 3D section of the website.

BlabberFruit is a blog that give a voice to the residents of the Glade. Our ‘gang’ are keen to help parents and teachers to connect with and motivate young learners. We would like to bridge the digital and social divides that remain the primary determinants of educational and so social outcomes, and the only way we know how is to make some intertesting and entertaining stuff that educators can use effectively and, most important, that works. Not much of an ambition really, is it?

We’d really like to make a friends, exchange some ideas and develop some damn fine content and tools to support teachers and parents in their endeavours to educate their little darlings. New media creates so many new possibilitites, BlabberMouth wants to express some of those as seen from the Glade, and is even prepared to listen. It’s all social you see, this new media, web 2.0 thingy.

Blabber has a brand new Phoneme set

Posted on March 4, 2007
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satipn is not an anagram, code or the transliterated name of some exotic Thai beach. It is the grouping of the first six phonemes to be released on the FruitPhonics website.

This momentous event has made the gang very happy, relieved now that the interminable stress of waiting is over. They’re giddy with delight at being out and about among the learning young and their not so infantile parents and guardians ( that’s more of an expression of hope rather than belief).

The game is afoot, so to speak, now all we have to do is work out the best way to use them. That little task, is down to what is fashionably called the ‘collective wisdom of crowds’…..that is you lot. Of course we have a plethora of spiffing ideas for interactive exercises and games, of which we are rightfully proud, for they are rather marvellous conceptions, (there’s no love like self love eh!) but we thought it best (and cheapest) to let the gang to the talking for a while and see where that leads.

Blabber, (I wonder if you can guess which of our little fruit is burdened with such a moniker) is raring to go. We have a stack of back up material to be released, but the first thing to do is get them familiar with the phoneme set and a few words. The rest will (hopefully) follow as the learners respond and improve, and we understand better how to structure and manage the introduction of incremental material.

We thought that to begin with, some simple ’show and tell’ sessions, a few exercises in ‘word search’ and a little ‘find the sound’ should do for parental starters. We are not going to presume to tell teachers what to do with our little friends (scarred by a precocious past, where we learned the hard way that humility and diligence were the route to survival free of trauma.) The materials are here to help, not insult, our esteemed professional educators.

Ours is more of a plea (spot the already emerging subtext of sycophancy). Please use the basic materials and give us some ideas on how useful, or otherwise you find them.

Share your ideas and experiences with us and we will incorporate them into the design of the platform, our new animations and learning activitites. Let’s get collective and give Blabber more than a few phonemes to get excited about.

Toodle Pip

A warm and fuzzy fruit

The BlabberFruit Blog is Live

Posted on March 3, 2007
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There are so many things still left to do, but they’re getting tetchy, so I guess, in the great tradition of surrendering to pester power, it is time to get our little fruits into the limelight…the rest is up to them.

So let’s hear it for the BlabberFruits from FruitPhonics……