© 2026 Learning with Mr. Lee

Primary English Resources

Contents

1. How to teach Primary English
2. Why is this the way to teach Primary English?
3. When should each concept be taught?
4. What does this actually look like in the classroom?
5. Primary English Resources

Further information to support change​

Systematic synthetics phonics at East Adelaide School

Ending the Reading Wars: Reading Acquisition From Novice to Expert By Anne Castles, Kathleen Rastle, and Kate Nation.

James Dobson wrote about The Beauty of a Script and it may be helpful in explaining the effectiveness of programs that use scripts. He writes about how teachers often say that ‘teaching is more an art than a science’. And yet musicians, actors and other artists use scripts.” Scripts decrease workload and increase consistency for students.

Fountas & Pinnell Classroom (2020) – ELA K-2 Summary of Alignment & Usability. Here are some of the findings:

“In foundational skills, the materials use an analytic approach to teaching phonics. The program cites some general research; however, the program does not present a research-based or evidence-based explanation for the teaching of phonological skills or for the hierarchy in which the skills are presented. Additionally, while in Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Lessons, the program cites studies supporting explicit teaching of phonics skills, the program does not present a research-based or evidence-based explanation for the sequence of phonics.”

Spelfabet – Running Records are an uninformative waste of teacher time. Alison Clarke writes about how running records are based on the now-discredited multicueing/three cueing model of reading. The negatives are:

  • they are highly subjective
  • do not attempt to assess children’s phonological awareness
  • not designed to tell us which phoneme-grapheme correspondences a child knows
  • tell us nothing about a child’s phonological memory or working memory
  • can’t tell us, clearly and objectively, who is falling behind and needs intervention

Alison Clarke has summarised this talk from David Kilpatrick The nature of reading development and difficulties

Reid Smith wrote about The First Year – Some things I have learned about implementing a phonics program (Part 1). Some of the key points were:

  • This is rocket science.
  • Sticking to the plan is harder than it looks.
  • Teach a variety of children but in more homogenous groups
  • Tracking progress over time is important.

Karen Vaites: Leveled Reading Groups Don’t Work. Why Aren’t We Talking About It?

  • There’s nothing about a kid’s reading level alone that shows what skills he or she is missing
  • It gives the kids in lower reading groups a steady diet of less challenging texts.
  • “Results indicate that weaker readers, using texts at two, three, and four grade levels above their instructional levels with the assistance of lead readers [other, better reading, third graders], outscored both proficient and less proficient students in the control group across multiple measures of reading achievement.”
  • During Tier 1 instruction, you want all kids working with grade level texts; students reading below grade level will need scaffolding and support (as well as targeted Tier 2 and/or 3 intervention).

Education Week: 

Pamela Snow: Leaving the Balanced Literacy habit behind: A theory of change.. In this post, Pamela Snow looks at what’s happening at each stage and what potential opportunities there are.

Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC): Right to Read inquiry report

This is an article I wrote about How to implement the Science of Learning when the rest of the school isn’t. It looks like at why people can be resistant to change and what we can do to support them through it.

Supporting families

If you need help in explaining why you are changing the way you teach English, Pamela Snow’s article may help – Dear Parents: Welcome to the Confusing World of Reading Instruction.

Research

The Reading League: Do This Not, Not That infographics for: – Decoding – Vocabulary – Fluency – Comprehension – Assessment
Improving literacy in lower primary by Evidence for Learning
Improving literacy in upper primary by Evidence for Learning

Louis Moats: Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science, 2020

National Reading Panel Report, 2000​

Teaching Reading: Literature Review, 2005

State Collaborative on Reforming Education – THE SCIENCE OF READING: If We Know Better, We Must Do Better. 2020

Emily Hanford: Reports and audio documentaries on reading

Deslea Konza:

DSF – Stairway to Reading Success

Curriculum Implementation Support

These FREE resources provide everything you need including teacher education, curriculum and assessments. 

Education Advisory Board (EAB) have put together The Science of Reading Implementation Guide with templates and resources to support implementation.

Tennessee Department of Education: Foundational Skills Curriculum Supplement

The Literacy Hub: supports school leaders, teachers and families to engage in effective literacy practices.

Supporting students with learning difficulties

Teaching resources

literacy lingo poster tinystpesmakebigstrides.com
Tiny Steps Make Big Strides: KNOW YOUR LITERACY LINGO

Webinars

Organisations

Letters and Sounds: Principles and Practice of High Quality Phonics

Sounds-Write

Spelling Mastery

Spelfabet

CodeRead Dyslexia Network

Reading Rockets

Multilit

Core Knowledge Curriculum

Oregon Response to Instruction & Intervention

Reading Reconsidered curriculum

Right to Read Initiative

PLD – Home Learning with PLD

OAK National Academy: “go-to resource hub made by teachers, for teachers.”

Nomanis: written for use by parents, educators and other professionals who work with children. They contain concise descriptions of the evidence pertaining to specific educational practices, some of which may be regarded as controversial.

NSW Department of Education – Effective reading in the early years of school

NSW Centre for Effective Reading – a specialist service providing:

  • information about teaching reading and supporting students with complex reading difficulties through this dedicated website
  • direct support for rural and remote primary school aged students with complex reading difficulties and their teachers.

SoR Blogs

Australian

International

Podcasts

Books

Where to next?

1. How to teach Primary English
2. Why is this the way to teach Primary English?
3. When should each concept be taught?
4. What does this actually look like in the classroom?
5. Primary English Resources

© 2026 Learning with Mr. Lee. Created with ❤ using WordPress and Kubio