To to start with, I want to share a reflection about Synthetic Phonics. I hope it makes you reflect and get good conclusions.
In education, a large debate is opened and it has no end. In the past, education has suffered a lot of changes, in the present we are suffering them and in the future these changes will last forever. As in every controvert, there are people that agree and people that disagree, but most of the times we cannot prove which the correct opinion is.
As teachers, we know that there are a lot of different methods of teaching and learning, fromthe traditional ones to the newest ones. Depending on the generation, the country, the culture, the place and the people, one method or another is performed, so students are learning in very different ways.
Synthetic Phonics is one of the teaching reading methods carried out in some schools nowadays. This technique, used for English language, is based on teaching simple phonemes and combining them to achieve the correct pronunciation of words. This method is disseminated all over the English-Speaking countries, and also those in which English is learned as a foreign language.
All of these educators that use it, especially the ones that are not held to any institution, think that this method is probably the best or one of the best ones to teach the English language. However, there are some other people that do not think this is a good method to achieve the skills and goals determined.
On the one hand, a good example in favor is Nick Gibb, the Minister of Education of the United Kingdom until 2012. He was totally convinced that Synthetic Method is the best teaching learning technique.
On the other hand, Michael Rosen totally disagrees with it, supporting that the variety of words that books gives to children cannot be found on the other method.
In my opinion, as a future teacher, the correct method is discovered when you have tried and really experienced different techniques. Actually, wises of any field have experienced a lot of things before getting the final deduction. So… what if we wait till the time gives us the answer?
Is phonics the best way to teach children to read? (Debate: Nick Gibb vs Michael Rosen, different arguments) http://www.mumsnet.com/bloggers/guest-blog-phonics-debate
Miguel Ángel García Moreno
25-09-2014
Hello Miguel!
First of all, I am really pleased with your post because you deal with lots of controversial topics about education that are quite important for us as future teachers. That is, we cannot be indifferent to these questions and we must take part of these debates.
I absolutely agree with you about the changes that education has suffered, suffers and will suffer. It is true that these changes are always questioned by experts and society, in general. Besides, it is a fact, that the employed method in the educative system of any country depends on many different factors.
In relation with this, I like a lot that you show us the two faces of synthetic phonics. That is, there are experts and nations that follow these method, but there are also professionals that consider that it is not effective.
As a final conclusion, I consider that the best idea of your post is related with time. You explain us that let time take its course is the best way to know if something works correctly. Nowadays, in the university we are knowing and learning about lots of different methods and experts with different points of view, but just when we start working in schools, we will really experience the different methodologies. Then we will have a wider knowledge about the best option. Even though, we will continue with lots of doubts. Nevertheless, I suppose that the secret is not to be closed-minded to any new idea.