Here are two newspaper headlines from 25 April 2016:
•The Guardian: Reading boosted by phonics, study says
•The Daily Telegraph: Phonics test 'does not improve reading'

If ever there was evidence needed for education in the interpretation of media messages, this coverage would be really useful!

The London School of Economics study looked at the progress of 270,000 children across 150 local authorities which introduced phonics at different times. As such, it is really powerful research - I am a fan of such large cohort studies, which in many ways are the gold standard of educational research. (Randomised Control Trials are much more difficult to implement in education - health is easier, where you can have a white pill that might be a placebo or an active medicine, and no-one knows, even the doctor administering the pill, but in education, everyone knows what method is being used.)

This article was published online by Children & Young People Now on April 26, 2016
Link to article here

Related publications
"Teaching to Teach" Literacy, Stephen Machin, Sandra McNally and Martina Viarengo, Centre for Economic Performance Discussion Paper No.1425, April 2016

Related links
Sandra McNally webpage
Stephen Machin webpage
Education and Skills Programme webpage