Ofsted chief heads inquiry into reading

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly today announced a major review of the way children are taught to read.

She appointed former Ofsted director Jim Rose to look at how schools use a controversial method known as "phonics".

The inquiry, backed by the Tories as well as teachers and inspectors, will also recommend how to help struggling pupils catch up with their classmates.

Phonics involves teaching children the sounds of letters first and then building up groups of sounds to form words.

In trials in Scotland, by the age of 11 children taught using synthetic phonics were three years ahead of those taught by other methods.

There has been criticism from MPs and Ofsted that too many children are leaving primary school unable to read properly.

Ms Kelly said: "The debate now centres not on whether to teach phonics, but how. Synthetic phonics, properly taught, can and does play an important part in teaching reading skills."