Maude, Kulwinder (2016) Sounding out students about phonics: Undergraduate Student Teachers’ (USTs) knowledge and ability to teach early reading through phonics. In: 7th TEAN Annual Conference: Cultivating Learning; 05-06 May 2016, Birmingham, U.K.. (Unpublished)

Abstract

The teaching of reading through systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) is identified as the prime approach in the new curriculum (DfE, 2013, p13). All trainees and practising teachers are assessed against eight standards, one of which is Standard 3: ‘if teaching early reading, demonstrate a clear understanding of systematic synthetic phonics’ (DfE, June 2013). This emphasis in the Teachers’ Standards formalises the importance of student teachers, particularly those in primary school, having secure knowledge and skill in teaching phonics. In the recent years, much research carried out has been in response to the Government’s policy on the role of phonics in teaching reading. However, there is very little research which analyses how effectively student teachers’ school and university experiences prepare them to meet Standard 3 of the Teacher Standards. In this paper, I analyse the themes arising from the qualitative data which highlights, surprisingly, that the students could not identify clearly how the discrete teaching of phonics could be embedded within the wider perspective of early reading. As teacher educators, the question arises as to how we reconcile the discrete teaching of phonics with developing students’ understanding of early reading. Models of teacher education, in particular Korthagen and Kessel’s (1999) use of episteme and phronesis, are drawn upon to inform development of links between university and school elements of the course. It is argued that there is a need to transcend from the conservatism of the ‘local’ (Philpott, 2014) and prepare student teachers to become autonomous, critical and creative practitioners.

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