There is much debate about the phonics test the coalition government introduced for Year 1 students. Prior to the election earlier this year, the coalition government pledged $10.8 million for “a Year 1 voluntary phonics health check for parents and teachers to ensure their children are not falling behind”.

What is phonics?

Teaching children the sounds made by individual letter or letter groups (for example, the letter “c” makes a k sound), and teaching children how to merge separate sounds together to make it one word (for example, blending the sounds k, a, t makes CAT). This type of phonics teaching is often referred to as “synthetic phonics”.

In a recent article (source:https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/year-1-phonics-check-will-it-help-or-hinder-students-literacy/264588), there were varied arguments about the validity of such a test. 

On the one hand, Dr Jennifer Buckingham suggested, “It would be a ‘circuit-breaker’ policy that would demonstrate how well phonics is being taught across the country and in individual schools and supply the impetus to drive improvements in teaching,” Dr Buckingham wrote. She also suggests, “At the student level, the check will provide early identification of students who are struggling and need intervention or further specialist assessment.”

The other side of the argument comes from Principals who believe that this "does not align with current Victorian DET policy regarding how we teach literacy." 

Data has shown recently that Catholic schools are doing well in lifting learning standards of children with additional needs but there is a need to focus on all children and their specific needs, particularly in the middle to upper standards (there is no one size fits all approach). 

Teacher skills in conceptual knowledge, understanding the process of learning, knowing content and knowing the triggers are areas that may need to be improved.

Many Principals are wary of the introduction of the phonics test, asserting that “At the centre of reading and writing is ‘meaning’, which brings a richness and authenticity and demonstrates how teaching is truly a craft. This must be where we put our energy and refuse to be distracted by the purporters of synthetic phonics.”

In the article, David Hornsby (a teacher, principal, university lecturer, author and literacy consultant for 52 years) is disturbed by the current push towards what he calls “robotic, mechanical, joyless, methodologies which are one-size-fits-all recipes for turning kids off learning”.

Another recent article suggested investing in the phonics test would be a waste of time and money, that phonics is already taught to children and that the government would be better investing its millions in initiatives that support an approach to teaching that targets inequality, as well as supporting students at the intermediate benchmark to develop the skills to rise to the high benchmark.
(Source: https://theconversation.com/the-coalitions-10-million-for-year-1-phonics-checks-would-be-wasted-money-116997)

There are many ways teachers are already able to identify needs without introducing another new test to provide information teachers already know. The following tests are some that are already carried out in various capacities across Catholic schools:

• Assessment upon student entry to school
• Transfer statement from early childhood centre or kindergarten
• PAT testing
• Reading recovery intervention
• INSIGHT assessment program; shared cross-sectoral DET platform
• English Online – prep interview to assess reading ability

The challenges may lie in varied teacher ability to identify suitable programs, methods and strategies to suit each child rather than the issue being with the tests themselves. Teachers need to be able to make discerning choices around what children need.

Over 500 Catholic school teachers are currently being trained in and are implementing 'Phonics in Context,' a combined approach in line with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority recommendations. Teachers in the diocese of Sale area also undertaking further study in Masters of Education at Melbourne University. The investment in further learning of teaching staff in Catholic schools is a positive step towards improvement for students. 

'Phonics in Context,' currently being implemented by many Catholic schools, supports the teaching of phonics alongside reading, comprehension, grammar and writing, focussing on growth and progress to set students up for future literacy challenges.
A focus only on phonics can disadvantage children in not preparing them for more complex literacy expectations as they reach their later years of education.

As the phonics debate continues, perhaps focus and investment is needed to provide teachers with further skills in identifying appropriate reading strategies for the broad range of individual student needs.

Another area of focus must be to encourage more parents, carers and family members to read with their children and keep it fun! Too much focus only on decoding of words means reading can become a chore for children rather than a joy.

In those early years, what is most important is that we see kids learn to love reading, providing an understanding of the stories in context. Engagement in literacy means parents not only reading with their children, but asking questions about the story and sharing in the unique bonding that comes from reading with kids. CSPV will continue to encourage schools to engage parents in the learning journey of their children, beginning with the basics of fun and engaging story telling.