Reference Data:
Pratt, L. (2025). Implementing a synthetic phonics programme in a Japanese elementary school. In B. Lacy, M. Swanson, & P. Lege (Eds.), Moving JALT Into the Future: Opportunity, Diversity, and Excellence. JALT. https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTPCP2024-15
In recent decades, the governments of English-speaking countries around the world have reformed the teaching of literacy in schools following reviews of the effectiveness of reading approaches (National Reading Panel 2000; Rose, 2006.). Although much of the reform has centred around the science of reading, debates continue about the effectiveness of various reading approaches. This article will outline an aspect of a curriculum reform project being undertaken by an outside consultant in a rural Japanese town. Students in the elementary schools are taking part in a six-year literacy programme that complements their regular English lessons. The programme takes students from the beginning of receptive understanding of English sounds and words all the way to being able to read and write sentences and paragraphs independently with their own ideas.
ここ数十年、世界の英語圏政府は、読む指導における有効性の検証結果（National Reading Panel, 2000; Rose, 2006）に基づき、学校での読み書き指導の改善を進めてきた。改革の多くは読解の科学を中心に進められてきた一方で、様々な読む指導の効果については議論が続いている。本稿では、日本の地方におけるカリキュラム改革プロジェクトの一面について概説する。児童は、通常の英語授業を補完する6年間の読み書き指導を受けている。このプログラムは外部コンサルタントの協力を得て設計され、児童が英語の音を受容的に理解するところから始まり、自分の考えで読み書きができるようになることを目指している。
