From 2006 the British government strongly favoured synthetic phonics as the principal approach for the teaching of initial literacy in state-funded primary schools in England, and since 2010 has made it mandatory. In 2007-2013 just over 100 commercially published phonics schemes were available, and in that same period the government maintained a…

The current study developed a taxonomy of reading skills and compared this taxonomy with skills being trained in 30 commercially available software programs designed to teach emergent literacy or literacy-specific skills for children in preschool, kindergarten, and Grade 1. Outcomes suggest that, although some skills are being trained in a…

When it is determined, as a result of testing or informal diagnosis, that a student is deficient in a particular reading skill, this taxonomy can help teacher and student together to select from a choice of materials, at the appropriate reading level, to correct the deficiency. The taxonomy is divided into five basic categories: beginning reading,…

An illustrative taxonomy for some patterns for initially stressed two-syllable words which can be used in word attack instruction is presented and discussed in this paper. It is designed to be a part of an integrated communication skills program produced by Southwest Regional Laboratory (SWRL). Examples of word patterns whose primary dimension of…