The Impact of Explicit Phonics Instruction on Emergent Literacy

Popular narratives around beginning reading, propelled by the Science of Reading movement, currently focus on phonics-centered teaching practices. This literature review explores the role of explicit phonics instruction in early years education classrooms, and how these practices impact children’s attainment of emergent literacy skills by examining research findings on the use of systematic phonics approaches in early years learning environments. The role of teacher attitudes towards, and personal understanding of, phonics is an area of limited study that can have an effect on what practices are used in the classroom. Findings suggest that the rate in which grapheme-phoneme correspondences are taught, as well as students’ phonemic awareness, are significant indicators of early literacy learning that can be supported with phonics instruction. Children today are increasingly familiar with technology, and educational apps offer exciting opportunities for young readers to engage in phonics activities, however this is an area that requires additional research. The results of these studies suggest that explicit phonics instruction is a valuable component of emergent literacy, however it is imperative that curriculum creators continue to explore the role that decodable books and authentic literature experiences offer to round out literacy instruction.