Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction. Chapter 2: Alphabetics, Part II: Phonics Instruction
National Reading Panel. (2000).
Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2:89-2:176.
This meta-analysis investigates the effect of systematic phonics instruction (i.e., explicit and systematic teaching of a planned, sequential set of phonics elements) on the literacy skills in children, preschool through grade 12, including those at-risk for reading difficulty and those with reading disorders. This review is part of a series of reviews from the National Reading Panel examining the scientific research on reading instruction for children.
Department of Education; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
This systematic review is one chapter of a six chapter report of systematic reviews. The titles of all the chapters are included in the Associated Article section below, and chapters of particular relevance to the Evidence Maps are linked to their respective ASHA Article Summaries.
1970-2000
Experimental studies; quasi-experimental studies with a control group
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There was "strong evidence substantiating the impact of systematic phonics instruction on learning to read" (p. 2-92) compared to alternative reading interventions. Moderate effect sizes were reported for systematic phonics instruction (mean ES = .44). No differences were found for type of phonics program (i.e., synthetic phonics, larger unit phonics, miscellaneous phonics programs (with effect sizes ranging from .27-.43).
<p>For younger children (K-1st grade) at risk or identified as struggling readers, systematic phonics instruction is significantly more effective than non-phonics instructions to improve spelling, reading comprehension. However, no significant effects were found for children in grades 2-6; further research is needed.</p>
No differences were found in the reading outcomes of children identified as at risk/struggling readers based on the delivery method of systematic phonics instruction. "All three delivery systems proved to be effective ways of teaching phonics, with effect sizes of <span style="text-decoration: underline;">d</span> = 0.57 (tutoring), <span style="text-decoration: underline;">d</span> = 0.43 (small group), and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">d</span> = 0.39 (whole class)" (p. 2-93).
