Composition and Transcription for Written Composition

Similarly, composition and transcription are both necessary for written composition, but they require different sorts of teaching. When children begin learning to write, they cannot spell many words accurately and they may find it an effort to form letters correctly. At this stage composition (expressive language) should be developed through talk; spelling should be taught through phonics; and correct letter formation should be taught and practised frequently.

When they can form letters easily, and can spell any word in a way that is at least phonically plausible, they can begin to write down what they want to say (written composition).

Developing Language for Reading and Writing

By the time they start school, some children will have heard thousands more words than others. To help all children develop language comprehension and expressive language, teachers should deliberately plan for them to take part in conversation with adults throughout the day. When children take part in role-play and games, teachers can join in and introduce new vocabulary. Saying and singing songs, rhymes and poetry develops vocabulary and helps children to hear the sounds in words and articulate them clearly.

Listening to an adult reading is a crucial way to develop language comprehension, as it increases vocabulary, develops understanding of the structures of language and increases knowledge of the world. More than that, it develops empathy and imagination, improves concentration, helps children bond with the adult reader, and provides a motive for learning to read independently.

Teaching Word Reading and Spelling through Phonics

There is extensive evidence that the most effective way to teach word reading and spelling is to teach phonics (the alphabetic code) systematically. Further evidence suggests that the best way to teach phonics is to teach systematic synthetic phonics (SSP). Synthetic means blended. Teaching synthetic phonics means teaching children how letters correspond to sounds, and how to blend the sounds in a word to read the word.

Spelling (encoding) is the reverse of word reading (decoding). Systematic synthetic phonics teaching includes spelling; spelling supports word reading and word reading supports spelling.

Systematic Synthetic Phonics Programmes

It is impossible to teach synthetic phonics systematically without a programme. There are many commercial SSP programmes available and schools could even write their own, although that would be unnecessarily time-consuming. A systematic synthetic phonics programme should:

• Introduce letter-sounds (grapheme-phoneme correspondences) systematically.
• Begin with letter-sounds that can form many words and continue teaching new letter-sounds until all the common letter-sounds in English have been taught, including common alternative spellings for the same sound.
• Teach letter-sounds at a fast pace: five to ten letter-sounds every two weeks.
• Begin to teach decoding in the first week, using words with letter-sounds that have been taught.
• Begin to teach identifying the sounds in words (segmenting spoken words) for spelling within the first two weeks.
• Teach letter-formation.
• Teach common words with letter-sounds that are an exception to what has been taught by identifying the exceptional letter-sounds.*
• Include writing from dictation, beginning with sounds, then words, and then sentences that include only letter-sounds and exception words that have been taught.
• Provide texts to practise reading words that include only letter-sounds and exception words that have been taught.
• Discourage guessing words from context.

*For example, children are first taught that <d> is pronounced /d/ and <o> is pronounced /o/. When they learn to read the word “do”, they are taught that <d> is pronounced /d/ as usual, but <o> is pronounced /oo/ (an exception).

For more advice about choosing a programme, go to https://readingreform.org/blog/how-to-choose-a-phonics-programme/

Phonics Lessons Content

The following lesson content is based on the evidence of research and the combined and extensive experience of members of the RRF and others.

Interactive phonics lessons led by a well-trained teacher (or other adult) should take place regularly. A routine should be established so that teachers and pupils know what’s coming next. Then they can concentrate on content without the teacher spending unnecessary time organising and explaining activities. The routine should include:

• Revision of previous teaching
• Learning a new letter-sound or consolidating letter-sound knowledge
• Reading words with letter-sounds that have been taught by blending the sounds to say the words
• Identifying the sounds in spoken words for spelling
• Forming letters correctly
• Writing letters, words or sentences from dictation, including only letter-sounds and words with letter-sounds that have been taught.

When pupils are confident about how to read words with common letter-sounds that have been taught, some lessons should include common exception words.

In addition, plenty of time should be allocated for pupils to practise and consolidate what has been taught, independently or with an adult. This should include reading books, or other texts, that have been carefully structured to be decodable for beginners.