The Reading Instruction Show’s Substack by Dr Andy Johnson Nov 4, 2025
Recently, somebody cited the National Reading Panel Report as clearly “proving” that synthetic phonics instruction should be used with all beginning and struggling readers. If you’re going to run around citing the National Reading Panel Report, for goodness sake, at least read the gosh darn thing … or in your case, use synthetic phonics to sound out the words. Don’t read the executive summary. That’s not the report. Don’t read what somebody else said about it. That’s not the report. Read the report. The report is the report.
The National Reading Panel Report identified six ways to teach phonics. It said that “each is equally effective.”
Equal. The same.
Effective. It works. Successful in producing the desired results.
Read here
