High phonics scores do not mean children read better

The percentage of children reaching the expected level in the phonics test has increased every year for the past three years. According to schools minister Nick Gibb, more than 75 per cent of children are "on track to become excellent readers as a result of the government's focus on phonics". Phooey ... or perhaps fooey ... or perhaps even fu-ee! We are simply seeing the inevitable outcome of any new high-stakes testing regime.

Over time, teachers learn to adapt their practice so that children do as well as possible in the test. This really shouldn't be a surprise. With new tests, results have always improved rapidly at the start and then levelled off. The problem is that most tests tend to focus on a tiny element of children's learning as a proxy measure for deep learning and understanding. The phonics test is based on decoding print and speaking words - while what we want is for children to read fluently and to understand. There is little convincing evidence for Gibb's claim.