Clear and comprehensive, this is the only book for parents that includes and explains the new government guidelines in detail. There has been a shake-up in the way children are taught to read in primary schools in England. The government has accepted a review that backs the use of a method known as "synthetic phonics," where children are taught letter sounds (c-a-t spells cat), not the names of letters (cee-ay-tee), before they move onto simple books. Phonics is already used in a lot of schools, but not necessarily in a systematic or prescriptive way. These changes--which are being introduced at the end of 2007--will mean that all children will be taught this way before the age of five. Phonics: A Reading Guide for Parents ties in to this new government literacy strategy and is a core guide to help you to teach your child to read using phonics. It follows the latest recommendations of the DFES and the Primary National Strategy, reflecting the new, fundamentally changed, teaching guidelines.