The debate over methods is so hot in the States that it's called the 'Reading Wars'
The government's education select committee has just reported that 20% of children leave primary school without the reading and writing skills of their age.
It called for an immediate review of the national reading strategy and a large scale evaluation of synthetic phonics, a method found highly successful in a recent study done in Scotland.
Many out of school projects have been set up to try to teach children who have fallen behind on their reading.
At the Butterfly Reading School in West London 200 children undertake a phonics course to improve their reading and writing. It's proved so effective that 100 more children are on the waiting list. Sarah Woolman went along to find out more.
Martha discusses whether there should be a variety of approaches to reading, because children learn in different ways, or is the use of phonics, as is increasingly thought, the best method?
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