Fad, fraud and folly in 'dyslexia' and the teaching of reading.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/7905258/Special-needs-is-a-fad-that-harms-children.html
Special needs is a fad that harms children.

http://illinoisloop.org/research.html
Education Research

"Telling the difference between baloney and serious claims about what works"
http://people.uncw.edu/kozloffm/Telling%20the%20Difference%20Between%20Baloney%20and%20Serious%20Claims.doc

Personal beliefs or evidence-based practice?
http://literacyblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/personal-beliefs-or-evidence-based.html

The seductive allure of neuroscience explanations: 'A set of experiments from the March 2008 edition of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, which elegantly show that people will buy into bogus explanations much more readily when they are dressed up with a few technical words from the world of neuroscience' www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/jocn.2008.20040

'(T)here is a mistaken belief that current knowledge in [genetics and neuroscience] is sufficient to justify a category of dyslexia as a subset of those who encounter reading difficulties' (Elliott/Gibbs p475)

http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/all-news/dalyell-prize
Video of a lecture by Prof. Della Salla (Professor of Human Cognitive Neuroscience) “Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain”

www.dystalk.com/talks/60-evaluating-alternative-solutions-for-dyslexia
Video: Prof. Bishop discusses Dore, cognitive dissonance and evaluating research.

Why bogus therapies seem to work:
http://www.csicop.org/SI/show/why_bogus_therapies_seem_to_work/

Special educational needs: will they be met by the new Green Paper proposals?
http://deevybee.blogspot.com/2011/04/special-educational-needs-will-they-be.html
'(T)here is a real risk that commercial companies will be rewarded with government funds for interventions of dubious or unknown value...In most cases, the only evidence for efficacy is anecdotal. In a few, claims of scientific support are made, but usually when investigated, the evidence proves to be weak. Randomized controlled trials are very rare in the field of education, and where these have been applied to interventions for children’s learning and educational difficulties, results have typically been much less impressive than when uncontrolled studies are done'

http://deevybee.blogspot.com/2011/12/pioneering-treatment-or-quackery-how-to.html
Pioneering treatment or quackery? How to decide.

'Research says....' is just the start. Then you have to find out what TYPE of research it is.
If the only research you're offered, or can find as evidence, is described in the following way, then however great the volume or the impressive-sounding credentials of the researchers, treat it with extreme caution:

- Observational studies
- Case studies
- Based on clinical intuition
- Qualitative
- Descriptive
- Academic
- Anecdotal
- Based on questionnaires
- Based on testimonials
- Based on interviews
- Non-mathematical analysis
- Subjective experience
- Based on tacit, non-scientific knowledge
- Based on 'belief systems'
- Anthropological
- Ethnographical
- Ideological / academic / theoretical / socio-cultural... 'perspectives'
- Action Research.“Action Research is a fancy way of saying let’s study what’s happening at our school and decide how to make it a better place”...''Those who carry out ‘conventional’ research may well criticise action research, often alongside other qualitative approaches, for lack of research questions, quantification, control, objectivity, etc'' (www.becta.org.uk - research paper)

''If it can't be expressed in figures, it is not science; it is opinion'' Robert A. Heinlein.

'(I)f you think you know the truth without having to collect any data, that saves a lot of time'' Stanovich p382

(W)hat can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence' C. Hitchens.

Alternative Therapies, Treatments and Programmes for 'dyslexia'

''There is an established, and very rewarding, dyslexia industry. There is considerable academic and commercial vested interest. There seem to be as many aetiologies for (causes for or origins of) dyslexia as there are researchers into it, give or take, and as many wonderfully special assessment methods, remedial schemes, dedicated schools and distinguished gurus as the market will carry''(Kerr p89)

'(T)he word "dyslexia" has taken on a variety of interpretations over the years, and it has provided a vehicle for people who want to make a quick buck from distraught parents' (Prof. Tymms. TES.04/11/05)

'It is time that the dyslexia industry was killed off and we recognised that there are well known methods for teaching everybody to read and write', says Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley, Manchester (Stringer.12/01/08)

Alternative therapies for reading difficulties, ''generally have a weak (or non-existent) evidence base and poor efficacy, and often rely on the superficial attractiveness of a promised instant (and comparatively effortless) ‘cure’' (Singleton p22)

Sense about Science: Ask for evidence:
http://www.senseaboutscience.org/pages/a4e.html

Caveat Emptor: Buyer Beware!

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/pediatrics;102/5/1217
''Vision problems can interfere with the process of learning; however, vision problems are not the cause of primary dyslexia or learning disabilities..Diagnostic and treatment approaches that lack scientific evidence of efficacy, including eye exercises, behavioral vision therapy, or special tinted filters or lenses, are not endorsed and should not be recommended''

www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/eyequack.html Eye-related Quackery.

http://dyslexia.mtsu.edu/modules/articles/displayarticle.jsp?id=68 Optometric Visual Training (a critique)

http://dyslexia.mtsu.edu/modules/articles/displayarticle.jsp?id=49 Tinted Lenses Critique

http://www.rep.bham.ac.uk/2008/Coloured_filters_for_reading_disability_FINAL_VERSION.pdf
The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of coloured filters for reading disability: A systematic review

'Wilkins et al. went on to conclude that the wearing of tinted lenses is unlikely to have a direct effect on the child's level of reading skill' (Muter p 179)

''There are a lot of abnormalities of the eyes that normal readers have as well, so tinted lenses and overlays have no foundation as a bona fide treatment for reading problems in any research that I'm aware of'' (Prof. Vellutino quote in Mills. The Dyslexia Myth)

'(T)here is no evidence supporting a causal link between visual stress and dyslexia...assessment of visual stress and response to treatment is usually by subjective report'' (Rose 2009. p115)

www.thelearningsociety.com/ 'The Raviv Method is a focussed and effective neuro-cognitive programme that consists of stimulating the brain to generate the specific brain structures that are essential for the learning process, practising strategies for controlling brain activity and training the brain for well-established two-dimensional perception.'

http://www.sunflowertrust.com/index.php Sunflower therapy consists of applied kinesiology, physical manipulation, massage, homeopathy and herbal remedies, plus 'Magical Spelling' which is based on neuro-linguistic programming -see link below. A randomised, controlled trial of Sunflower therapy, (Bull, L. 2007), for children with specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), found that there were similar gains in test scores for clinical and control children.

'(C)ontrolled trials show that the claims of applied kinesiology have no basis in reality' (Singh/Ernst. p164)

www.magicalspellinglimited.com Magical Spelling is based on the work of of NLP practitioner Robert Dilts http://nlpu.com/Articles/artic10.htm 'a remarkable quick way to improve your spelling, reading, memory and dyslexic symptoms, in any language...the way that nature intended, by being able to visualise''
Magical Spelling is incorporated into Sunflower Therapy: 'After just a few sessions, Carolina says she can get dyslexic children to spell eight-letter words backwards. "Kids are often taught to learn through writing, left to right, and that doesn't often help dyslexic kids, so we use the whole body to learn through movement," she said. Carolina will show a child a word and tell him to visualise it. Then, she teaches him to spell using the whole body, often jumping or waving an arm to each letter, or spelling the word from the outside in, rather than from left to right' www.thisisexeter.co.uk/features/Carolina-helping-challenged-children-overcome-problems/article-915264-detail/article.html

The Tomatis method or Audio-Psycho-Phonology (APP) 'is very controversial and not accepted by specialists'... 'Eventually [Tomatis] left the orthodox medical community, admitting that his practice was beyond the scope of normative allopathic comprehension' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_A._Tomatis) see also, http://auditoryintegrationtraining.co.uk/

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD): Where commercial and clinical interests collide: ''Given the lack of agreement on diagnostic criteria and lack of recognition in formal guidelines, it’s impossible to find sensible epidemiological data on APD''
http://deevybee.blogspot.com/2011/03/where-commercial-and-clinical-interests.html

www.self-voice.com/ A.R.R.O.W 'An internationally successful self-voice learning approach that improves reading, spelling, speaking, memory and listening skills. The result is a better attitude to work with a growth of higher self esteem.'

www.inpp.org.uk/ 'Primitive reflexes develop during uterine life. They should be fully present at birth and are gradually inhibited by higher centres in the brain during the first 6 to12 months of post-natal life. If they are activated by minor stimuli in the environment at a later age, they can interfere with the development of more complex skills.' http://deevybee.blogspot.com/2011/06/its-tough-being-parent-of-child-with.html

www.primarymovement.org/ 'Primary Movement is a unique movement programme which seeks to replicate the early movements of the fetus and to enhance the maturation of the central nervous system. It has been shown to have a significant impact on the educational attainments of children with specific learning difficulties including dyslexia'.

www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/patterning.html Quack Watch examines Doman and Delacato's 'patterning' theory.

www.srmhp.org/archives/patterning.html Psychomotor Patterning =pseudoscience

'(I)t is still a concern that there has been a failure on the part of advocates of primitive reflex therapy to establish any convincing connection between infant motor reflexes and the complex process of learning to read' (Muter p 181)

http://www.badscience.net/2008/05/dore-the-medias-miracle-cure-for-dyslexia/ BadScience on Dore

www.dystalk.com/talks/60-evaluating-alternative-solutions-for-dyslexia
Video: Prof. Bishop discusses Dore, cognitive dissonance and evaluating research.

www.braingym.org.uk/ ''Brain Gym® is an educational, movement based programme which uses simple movements to integrate the whole brain, senses and body, preparing the person with the physical skills they need to learn effectively'' http://www.badscience.net/category/brain-gym/ 'Brain Gym is a set of perfectly good fun exercise break ideas for kids, which costs a packet and comes attached to a bizarre and entirely bogus pseudoscientific explanatory framework'.
Sense About Science 'Brain Gym' leaflet: www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/pdf/braingym.pdf

http://www.dyslexiaonline.com/ 'Dr. Harold Levinson's groundbreaking research has continued to demonstrate that the symptoms of dyslexia or Learning Disabilities (LD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and related Phobic symptoms are due to a simple signal-scrambling disturbance of inner-ear (cerebellar-vestibular) origin'...'75–85% of medically treated children and adults respond favorably, rapidly, and often dramatically to simple and safe combinations of inner-ear-improving medications and related nutrients'

http://dyslexia.mtsu.edu/modules/articles/displayarticle.jsp?id=69 Neurophysiological Approaches (a critique)

www.peakperformancetraining.org/sitefiles/dyslexia.htm 'Part of the cause of dyslexia is believed to be due to an imbalance in brainwave activity. The training will gently train you back to a state of mental balance resulting in quite astounding positive changes.'

www.dyslexiatreatment.com/ 'Once a learning profile has been established, a programme of mental and physical exercises is compiled which is tailored to enhance the strengths of their individual learning pattern and to overcome the accompanying weaknesses.'

www.davistraining.co.uk/ 'The Davis® Dyslexia Correction Programme was developed by Ronald Davis to overcome his own learning difficulties. Davis sees dyslexia as a talent...The Programme helps the individual to discover his innate gift, and to apply it to the learning difficulty. In this way the blockages to effective learning are removed. Clients are shown how to clear up confusions regarding letters, numbers, words and language symbols and are aided in the process by the use of clay.' Also, see: http://www.blueberry-centre.co.uk/

http://dyslexia.mtsu.edu/modules/articles/displayarticle.jsp?id=71 'The Gift of Dyslexia' by Ronald Davis (a critique)

www.innovative-therapies.com/fastforward_uk.htm Fast ForWord.This is a teaching programme that focuses on helping learners become more fluent at processing rapidly changing sounds. Its underlying hypothesis is that dyslexic learners' brains can be taught to operate more like those without dyslexia. The programme offers training designed to help learners hear sounds in words by exaggerating and slowing them down (DfES) “The collective results of our studies suggest that improvements in language abilities after FFW training did not result from changes in temporal processing. It is possible that similar improvements in language may be obtained from a variety of interventions that are presented on an intensive schedule, that focus the child’s auditory and visual attention, that present multiple trials that vary task complexity as a function of response accuracy, and that reward progress.”
Looking back: A summary of five exploratory studies of Fast ForWord. Ronald B. Gillam, Diane Frome Loeb, Sandy Friel-Patti.

http://dyslexia.mtsu.edu/modules/articles/displayarticle.jsp?id=34 Fast ForWord ® for Children with Dyslexia (a critique)

http://dyslexia.mtsu.edu/modules/articles/displayarticle.jsp?id=70 Ingestive Treatments for Learning Disabilities (a critique)

http://www.badscience.net/category/fish-oil/ Omega-3 Fish Oils.

Specialist dyslexia teaching and programmes:

The dyslexia lobby suggest that the qualifications they endorse and for which they provide training (see OG below) come at the very top of a 'training pyramid of expertise': http://www.xtraordinarypeople.com/news/ ... expertise/ Nevertheless, a teacher who got to the top of the 'dyslexia training pyramid' reported that the particular course of study that she followed to gain AMBDA status 'was next to useless' as far as enabling her to teach anyone to read and write.

The majority of so-called 'specialist dyslexia teachers' are trained, solely, in programmes based on the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach. For many decades OG was the recommended form of remedial reading intervention with far more phonics content than would be encountered in the average classroom, and for that it should be given credit. Unfortunately, it remains mired in the theories and beliefs from the time it was first devised, early in the 20th century. The OG programmes have failed to incorporate the best of recent, research-based practice or eliminated content which is now known to be unnecessary and ineffective. Many common OG procedures, such as the laying out wooden alphabet letter shapes in an arc whilst naming the letters, have no research base and are simply time-wasting. Several OG practices are actually detrimental to the effective teaching of reading, such as 'finding little words in big words' and the use of larger units of sound such as onset and rime - see 'what not to do'. Additionally, many specialist dyslexia teachers remain in thrall to the myths of learning styles, multiple intelligences and left brain/right brain dominance theories, which have no credence except in pop psychology circles.

The inadequacy of specialist dyslexia teaching was confirmed in Singleton's 2009 Dyslexia Review; ''Brooks (2007) has described ratio gains of between 1.4 and 2.0 as having ‘small impact’ and being ‘of modest educational significance’; ratio gains less than 1.4 he classes as being of ‘very small impact’ and ‘of doubtful educational significance’. On this basis all the results reported from studies in UK specialist [dyslexia] schools and teaching centres would be regarded as disappointing (or even disregarded altogether), since the largest ratio gain was only 2.0 (except at Moon Hall School [which uses a linguistic phonics programme similar to the Sound Reading System]'' (Singleton p74) In the Journal of Special Education (2006), Ritchey and Goeke concluded that, “the research is currently inadequate, both in number of studies and in the quality of the research methodology, to support that OG interventions are scientifically based''.

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA: formerly the Orton Dyslexia Society) is the umbrella organisation for Orton-Gillingham teaching programmes in the USA. The British Dyslexia Association is its UK partner. In a recently published article requesting donations to carry out research, the IDA admitted that, 'there is no substantial body of scientific research supporting the efficacy of the *multisensory component in structured-language reading instruction' i.e. OG specialist dyslexia teaching. In the same article, the IDA acknowledged that, in an 'era of evidence-based instruction, citing clinical intuition and testimony may not suffice, even when authoritative and compelling' and, as a result, they risked 'criticism of the sort directed at whole-language and other unfounded or discredited approaches' http://www.interdys.org/ResearchMSIGrantProgramandDonors.htm.*OG programmes aim to differentiate themselves from other reading interventions by describing themselves as 'Multisensory, structured language' (MSL) instruction, but as this description applies equally well to other reading programmes, including those based on synthetic phonics principles, it is not useful and very misleading.

Discussion on the teaching of Open/Closed syllables as used in Orton Gillingham programmes
http://www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4544

There is an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dyslexia and Specific Learning Difficulties. MP Ian Liddell-Grainger is its chair. The lobbying organisation 'Dyslexia Action' acts as the group’s secretariat. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/dyslexia-and-specific-learning-difficulties.htm

SNIP Literacy Programme. A literacy intervention programme based on memorising the high frequency words as global wholes, written by a couple who describe themselves as ‘qualified dyslexia tutors’
Part 1 (KS1/2) http://www.snip-newsletter.co.uk/pdfs/downloads/literacy_programme_1.pdf

Critique: The Dyslexia-SpLD Trust: ‘No to Failure’ Project final report. 2009
http://www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4472

Here's what 'dyslexia expert' Neil MacKay has to say about phonics:
http://www.4d.org.nz/edge/reading_accuracy.html

Independent schools' for 'dyslexics':

- Maple Hayes: 'The Maple Hayes technique sorts words into morphemes (units of meaning). These are either spelt conventionally by a combination of letters, or represented by simple images called icons. The approach uses only one sense at a time, to block out distractions. Reading is visual rather than aural (early lessons are almost silent), while writing practice is by touch, using cursive script where the pen stays on the paper. To help pupils concentrate, they will be blindfolded at first.' http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6002967

- Fairley House: 'Multi-Sensory Approach: To help learn words beginning with "squ", pupils squeeze oranges. For "shr", they shred paper'.
www.telegraph.co.uk/education/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/education/2007/02/03/edys03.xml
''A pupil at Fairley House, Pimlico has used his mouth to retrive a raisin from a bowl of flour. The 'what have you found in the mound of flour?' reinforces the use of the vowels o and u'' (Times article)

For a list of unnecessary and unhelpful content to avoid in any dyslexia / literacy intervention / basic skills programme -see What NOT to do

Laughable:

www.free-daily-affirmation.com/free-affirmations/affirmations-dyslexia-add.html Affirmations to heal dyslexia and ADD.

http://www.wddty.com/03363800372013996123/brilliantly-wheat-free.html

http://www.wddty.com/03363800373046903953/cutting-out-plastic-food-cured-dyslexia.html

"The true believer is never swayed by evidence, and will continue to believe despite any amount or strength of evidence. And remember, the believer not only wants the delusion to be true, but in most cases desperately needs it to be true.'' James Randi.

Non-systematic, multi-cueing reading schemes and reading intervention programmes:

Oxford Reading Tree 'Biff, Chip and Kipper' Classic readers. Pub. OUP. Despite embracing synthetic phonics through the Read Write Inc. programme (RWI) and Floppy's Phonics decodable readers, OUP continue to publish the early levels of Biff, Chip and Kipper 'Classic' whole language readers and brought out new editions in 2011. http://www.oup.com/oxed/primary/oxfordreadingtree/resources/biff/newedition/
OUP have also re-published their 'Read at Home' whole language readers as 'Read with Biff, Chip and Kipper' 'First Stories' (these books are aimed at parents) along with flashcards for whole word and rhyming games. In addition, OUP publish the Wolf Hill whole language book series for 7+ yr.old reluctant/'less-able' readers whilst also publishing a RWI 1-1 tutoring kit and an intervention programme, RWI Fresh Start.

Reading Recovery (RR) is a 1-1 intervention (Wave 3) programme which uses 'word memorisation and other teaching practices from the 'whole language theory of reading'(HoC Sci/Tech committee). It is taught by extensively (and very expensively) trained teachers and used with a very narrow age group; low achieving Y1 children. In an article for the Independent, National Co-ordinator for RR, Julia Douetil, claimed that, "These are children for whom, for some reason, phonics hasn't worked" (Independent 30/10/08). Over the course of a year the school's RR teacher will give a handful of children individual tutoring for half-an-hour daily; around 90-100 sessions for each child. Despite this massive input, a significant number (23% RR's own figures) of children are failed by the programme and are 'referred on' i.e. need further intervention. Documents on the then DCSF's RR 'Toolkit' webpage revealed that it cost a school £82,830 to employ an RR teacher part-time (0.5) for 4 years. Using RR's own optimistic figures which have each teacher tutoring 9 pupils a year, RR costs over £2,600 per child. Independent researchers put the cost closer to £5,000. Because of the extremely high cost of implementing Reading Recovery, many cheaper copies have appeared which are based on exactly the same principles -see below.

Reading Recovery is ''a multi-cueing, non-systematic approach'' (Sir Jim Rose SPELD conference AU)

For extensive information and discussion of RR:

http://www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4298

http://www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3759

http://www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3856

http://www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3510

The History of Reading & Reading Recovery
http://web.me.com/viccharlton/Reading_and_Literacy/Understanding_Reading/Entries/2009/3/7_The_History_of_Reading_%26_Reading_Recovery.html

Time to stop digging
http://www.prometheantrust.org/timetstopdigging.htm

No joined up thinking
http://www.senmagazine.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=60

The Catch up Literacy programme is recommended as a Wave 2 literacy intervention to 'layer' with Reading Recovery. http://www.catchup.org.uk/CatchUpLiteracy/IntroducingCatchUpLiteracy.aspx '(T)he clearest evidence of the success of the Catch Up Programme is the marked improvement in attitude to reading shown by the children'. Catch Up Literacy is based on the same multi-cueing principles as Reading Recovery . A comparison of the recommendations of the Rose Report and Catch Up programme training: http://www.rrf.org.uk/archive.php?n_ID=185&n_issueNumber=60

Better Reading Partnership was ''developed by Bradford Local Education Authority (LEA) in 1996 and is based on the Reading Recovery Programme'... 'The reading partner notes the child's use of the three BRP reading strategies: grapho-phonic (visual), syntactic (structure) and semantic (meaning). Weaknesses are addressed through prompts: "Does that look right?", "Does that sound right?", and "Does that make sense?" (Dunford. LiteracyTrust). This Wave 2 intervention programme is recommended for 'layering' with Reading Recovery.

Pearson-Heinemann 'Rapid Reading' KS2 Wave 3 intervention http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/Primary/Literacy/AllLiteracyresources/RapidReading/RapidReading.aspx
The series editors, Dee Reid and Diana Bentley, also devised the 'Catch Up' programme -see above.
Pearson also publish packs of Reading Recovery whole language readers through their Heinemann imprint http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/Primary/Literacy/SpecialNeedsandStrugglingLearners/ReadingRecovery/ReadingRecovery.aspx
Pearson also have many NON-decodable books for beginning readers as part of their new Bug Club, ostensibly 'for further practice and enjoyment'.

http://www.readingquest.org.uk/ ''Reading Quest is inspired by Marie Clay’s Reading Recovery programme''

Fischer Family Trust (FFT) Wave 3. www.fischertrust.org/lit_wave_3.aspx Another programme based on Reading Recovery principles and recommended for 'layering' with Reading Recovery.

Sound Linkage. Peter Hatcher. A 'phonological training' programme (see method 3) designed to be used alongside a whole language reading scheme. 'In Hatcher's own work, he has incorporated Sound Linkage into the Marie Clay Reading Recovery framework' (The Study of Dyslexia. p120)

Phonology with Reading programme -a mixture of methods intervention programme. It combines Jolly Phonics materials (for teaching 36 GPCs over 20 weeks) with 'oral phonological awareness' exercises (Hatcher's Sound Linkage), plus 'direct teaching in [global] sight word recognition' and immediate reading practice using real books, levelled using a whole language banding system. 'The Teaching Assistant monitored the child’s reading ability by taking a running record of the child reading a book at the instructional level in each individual session. One new book was introduced per session, which the child attempted to read independently, before finishing off with guided reading of the new book. 'At the end of the intervention, more than 50% of at-risk children remain in need of literacy support' http://www.york.ac.uk/psychology/research/groups/crl/research/past-research/nuffield-04-08/ N.B. the actual Jolly Phonics programme teaches a Basic Code of 42 GPCs, with decodable words and sentences provided for reading practice in order to avoid prediction (guessing) and global sight word memorisation. Furthermore, Jolly Phonics is designed to be taught rapidly, 3-6 GPCs a week being recommended to ensure effective learning.

The DCSF's 'Wave 2' small group, intervention programmes (ELS / ALS / FLS) were based on mixed methods.
- ELS was rewritten (Jan 2008) with the aim of bringing it in line with the 2006 Rose Report which stated that, 'High quality (synthetic) phonic work, as defined by the review, should be a key feature of the provision in each of these 'waves'. (Rose 2006. 133)
The revised ELS contains an RR-style miscue analysis assessment, reading books from Reading Recovery's Books Bands and time-wasting 'busy-work'.

- ALS was transformed (Mar. 2007) into 'Year 3 Literacy Support (Y3LS/Sir Kits Quest)' Discussion of the updated ALS intervention programme here: www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?t=2900

- FLS, the DCSF's Wave 2 intervention for Y5 is STILL available on the web, unrevised from 2002 and therefore complete with the pre-Rose, whole-language, multi-cueing strategies.

For a list of unnecessary and unhelpful content to avoid in any dyslexia / reading intervention / basic skills programme -See What NOT to do

THRASS www.thrass.co.uk Programme developer Alan Davies stated that '(T)here is no need to look for a new model of early reading to replace the ‘Searchlights’ model...It is wrong to believe that synthetic phonics is the ‘best route to becoming skilled readers’, as stated in Jim’s report'... 'Parents need to understand and use four 'searchlights' for reading with their children: a 'Word Recognition Searchlight', a 'Phonics Searchlight', a 'Context Searchlight' and a 'Grammar Searchlight', as set out in the National Literacy Strategy that the UK Government abandoned in 2005. The Government's new synthetic phonics programme, 'Letters and Sounds', focuses on the 'Phonics Searchlight', an approach which is inadequate for both parents and young children’ (THRASS press release Jan 08) ''The best phonics method is not solely Synthetic Phonics (as championed by British Prime Minister David Cameron) but Analytic AND Synthetic phonics, AnaSynth Phonics (a.k.a. Keyword Phonics), starting with pre-school children discussing the pictures, words and text in books, with their parents, grandparents and nursery teachers, giving them the opportunity to read more and more words by sight before they start formal schooling'' (H. Davies)

For details of genuine synthetic phonics programmes see- Resources 10

Other:

Book Bands for Guided Reading by Bickler, Baker and Hobsbaum, produced by the UK Reading Recovery National Network. ''Designed to help teachers to audit, organise and supplement a school's existing sets of reading materials at Key Stage 1'. Reading Recovery's Bookbands / Cliff Moon's Individualised Reading / Hatcher's Graded booklist / Nelson Thornes PM Books and the Catch Up Literacy booklist are all book leveling schemes based on the whole language notion of early reading - that is, beginners, or those requiring remedial intervention, need to use globally memorised sight words, initial letter/s, pictures and context clues to 'read'. In these schemes, books are leveled according to number of words on a line, the number of lines on a page, number of high frequency words used and the degree of repetition, NOT on the decodability of the text. For example, books in Pink Bookband (recommended for children aged 4-5), 'usually have no more than 10 pages with up to 5 words on a page' (ReadingChest/bookbands) ''At level 1 children master a growing number of high frequency words and look for meaning from a close match of words and pictures'' (PM Books)

DCSF publication: What works for pupils with literacy difficulties: the effectiveness of intervention schemes. 3rd edition. 2007. Greg Brooks. ''It is a comparison of a collection of self reported studies on programmes used to remediate reading difficulties. There is no control over the quality of the research or the accuracy of the data. Inclusion of 'studies' is completely random, depending as it does, on the right people seeing the right 'evidence call' in the right publications, at the right moment'' (maizieD)

Box Dictations. Recommended by a 'specialist TA holding the 'Hornsby Diploma in SpLD': www.crossboweducation.com/box_dictations.htm 'Box dictations are an effective way of providing visual support for spelling for children (and adults) who experience the common dyslexia-related problem of failing to map the sounds of letters onto their shapes'

Sightword Spelling Game. Crossbow Education. www.crossboweducation.com/Sight_words.htm

www.synthetic-phonics.com The Direct Learning Synthetic Phonics Certificate course.
Direct Learning is affiliated to the International Reading Association and the United Kingdom Literacy Association - both organisations are strongly wedded to whole-language methods."Used in conjunction with the Whole Word method, synthetic phonics is by far the best method for teachers and parents, leading to optimum learning for children in reading and spelling." ''It is usual to include more exciting words in beginner reading books, like ice-cream, milk-shake, elephant, dinosaur, MacDonald's, airplane. Despite their length, these words are usually easy for children to read because of the connections they stimulate! ''You will notice them using other clues, like the pictures on the page, or guesses from the meaning of the sentence, and it is good to encourage them to use these clues''.

Kumon English programme. www.kumon.co.uk ''Kumon’s English programme has a strong emphasis on phonics in the early levels, with an initial focus on the ‘synthetic’ learning of individual letter sounds and then the sounds of combinations of letters to make words. But Kumon doesn’t do this in isolation, successfully combining that approach with what is basically pretty close to an analytic element, together with a range of other strategies.The students move on from letter sounds to looking at common letter combinations and using rhyming skills to read and spell by analogy.'' (Kumon press release March 2006)

Steiner / Waldorf Dr. Richard House, stalwart of the Open EYE early years anti-phonics campaign (see -method 2), is a strong advocate for Steiner education and is a Steiner kindergarten teacher. The Open Waldorf website is particularly informative about the Steiner stance on teaching reading:
‘Waldorf schools discourage children from reading before the age of 7. In fact, some experts in the Waldorf community consider this type of early development "a tragedy" Why is the Waldorf point of view so different than the bulk of academic research on this subject? The answer can be found in Waldorf's alternative theory of child development, which is based on Rudolf Steiner's clairvoyant insight on the human being. The timing of this proscription against reading corresponds with the "cutting of the teeth," which Steiner indicated as a developmental milestone, with the incarnation of the etheric body in children. Steiner says early reading will hinder the later spiritual development of children’

This is what Steiner himself had to say about the teaching of reading and writing in his book, ‘The Kingdom of Childhood’:
‘'People will object that the children then learn to read and write too late. That is said only because it is not known today how harmful it is when the children learn to read and write too soon. It is a very bad thing to be able to write early. Reading and writing as we have them today are really not suited to the human being till a later age - the eleventh or twelfth year - and the more a child is blessed with not being able to read and write well before this age, the better it is for the later years of life. A child who cannot write properly at thirteen or fourteen (I can speak out of my own experience because I could not do it at that age) is not so hindered for later spiritual development as one who early, at seven or eight years can already read and write perfectly’'.

Steiner educationalists believe that ‘the early development of intellectual abilities’ is a ‘negative development …a tragedy’. They go on to say, '‘We conjecture that, as a consequence, one triggers cristalization processes, leading to eventual precocious sclerosis processes later on in life'’. This is simply mumbo- jumbo and should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

Steiner and the Open EYE campaign:
http://www.rrf.org.uk/messageforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3200

Research by Steiner advocate, Dr.Sebastian Suggate which, he claims, shows, 'that teaching children to read from age five is not likely to make that child any more successful at reading than a child who learns reading later, from age seven'. http://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/otago006408.html
UK educational psychologist, John Noble, commented on Suggate's study: ''All state educated children in NZ are first taught by the language based methods of Marie Clay which are akin to Reading Recovery Methods used here. Using a picture vocabulary test to assess 'receptive vocabulary' as one of his 'controls', the study compared the later reading comprehension scores of about 50 children at 11 and 12 attending Steiner Schools (which also stress the importance of language methods) and State Schools. No differences were found at 11 and 12. This study has absolutely no implications whatsoever for the first teaching of reading in the UK using synthetic phonics, because no such comparison was included in the Otago study. After working in NZ a couple of streets away from Otago University and having assessed some dreadful cases of all round literacy skills failure in the 2 Steiner Schools sampled in this study, as well as witnessed similarly appalling cases of reading and spelling failure in NZ state schools, I think we need to advise great caution in this country about proposals about precipitous changes in the timing of first literacy teaching derivable from this amateurish bit of research nonsense from NZ''

Blogger, Simon Webb, also commented on Suggate's research:''Another point to remember is that this is not exactly an unbiased piece of work. Sebastian Sugatte was for years a leading light in the students' Anthroposophical Society at the university. He has always been a dedicated supporter of Rudolf Steiner's theories about education. In other words, he did not embark on this research in order to test whether children did better if they delayed learning to read until seven. Rather, he believed this firmly and went looking for evidence to support the hypothesis. That this is so can be seen from the wording he uses. He talks of the age at which children are, "forced to start reading"! How's that for objective, academic language? There is a lack of candour on the part of the man, as can be seen in this quotation from the New Zealand Herald. He is speaking of the apparent discovery that children learning later were not disadvantaged, "Dr Suggate said he was surprised by his own findings that this was not the case." For a dedicated anthroposophist to make such a statement with a straight face suggests strongly that there is an element of deliberate deception involved''.

And, finally:

'There’s a psychological phenomenon known as cognitive dissonance which is the tendency to filter out information that conflicts with what one already believes, in an effort to ignore that information and reinforce one's beliefs. In the context of intervention, it is uncomfortable to conclude that one put in a lot of time and money into a treatment that has not worked. There is likely, therefore, to be a cognitive bias to paint as bright a picture as possible. This seems supported by studies that find a mismatch between people’s perceptions of efficacy and objective evidence.'' (Prof Bishop.BDA 2008. ppt)

''The simple believeth every word'' Proverbs 14:15