Phonics 2021: where have two decades of research led scholars and practitioners to?

Abstract

A great deal of research papers, including meta-analyses, have strenuously supported the use of phonics for literacy instruction at early stages. In them, authors have expanded the target population scrutinized, including struggling readers and normal readers, learners with or without dyslexic difficulties, so forth. However, as in any given paradigm, the existence of a no small amount of papers aiming contrariwise needs to be acknowledged, as well as their contributions considered. Likewise, since part of the ‘against’ literature has encountered further discrepancy concerning the results and conclusions reached, the debate endures. Research studies have provided important information on whether synthetic phonics is the one method all pedagogues should consider when introducing English literacy to very young learners. What is less clear is what sort of investigation the most cited papers have been. Hence, the purpose of this bibliographic review is to identify the most common themes scholars have investigated concerning the use of synthetic phonics for the instruction of English literacy, and to provide a succinct excerpt of their findings.