Synthetic phonics is a method of teaching reading in which children learn the sounds that letters represent, and then synthesise, blend, those sounds together to read words. “Synthetic” here means “to synthesise”, i.e. to combine. It has nothing to do with being artificial.
It became the standard approach in English primary schools after the Rose Review of 2006, which examined the evidence and recommended systematic synthetic phonics as the most effective way to teach early reading.
How it works, step by step
- Children learn letter-sounds in a set order, a few at a time (commonly s, a, t, p, i, n first).
- They blend those sounds to read words: c-a-t becomes “cat”.
- They segment words back into sounds to spell them: “cat” becomes c-a-t.
- New sounds and letter combinations (sh, ch, ai, ee) are added systematically over time.
“Synthetic” vs “whole language”
For decades an alternative approach, sometimes called whole language or “look and say”, encouraged children to recognise whole words by sight and guess from context and pictures. The trouble is that guessing does not scale, English has too many words to memorise as shapes, and context runs out.
The research consensus that emerged is that decoding, sounding words out, is the reliable engine of early reading. The Education Endowment Foundation rates phonics as one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost things a school can do.
What it is not
Synthetic phonics is not the whole of reading. Sounding out words is necessary but not sufficient. Children also need a rich vocabulary, background knowledge, comprehension and a genuine love of stories, the National Reading Panel’s five pillars sit alongside phonics, not underneath it.
Good early-years teaching does both at once: the code in short, structured bursts, and a wide diet of being read to for pleasure.
How to support it at home
You do not need to run lessons. Use the sound, not the name, when you talk about letters. Play sound games in the car. Sound out short words on signs and packaging. And read aloud, generously, every day.
If your child brings home decodable books from school, books written to use only the sounds they have learned so far, let them do the sounding out at their own pace, and resist finishing words for them.
Common questions
Is synthetic phonics the same as regular phonics?
It is a specific, systematic form of phonics where children blend individual sounds to read whole words, taught in a planned sequence. Other, looser forms of phonics exist, but synthetic phonics is the one backed by the Rose Review and used in most UK schools.
Does phonics stop children enjoying reading?
No, done well, it is the opposite. Phonics gives children the independence to read on their own, which is deeply motivating. The enjoyment comes from pairing it with plenty of shared stories.
- National Reading Panel, Teaching Children to ReadNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), 2000
- Jim Rose, Independent Review of the Teaching of Early ReadingUK Department for Education and Skills, 2006
- Best start in life: the 3 prime areas of learningOfsted research review, 2024