The EEF commissioned an independent evaluation of Read Write Inc. Phonics and Fresh Start, two literacy teaching programmes developed by Ruth Miskin Training. They include systematic synthetic phonics, reading and applying phonics to decodable books, and skills for writing, including handwriting and compositional writing.
The evaluation of Read Write Inc. Phonics and Fresh Start will be published later than expected, in 2023. After initial delays to the evaluation due to data access issues, the EEF made a commitment to publish the findings alongside a second EEF study of the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme, funded as part of the Teaching and Leadership Innovation Fund (TLIF). This study is designed to evaluate the impact of the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme on pupils’ KS1 phonics outcomes
The EEF made a commitment to publish these two studies together, to provide schools with the most useful and consistent messages around the findings. Due to Covid-19 disruptions, the TLIF study will be completed in the 2021/22 school year. This means the findings from both studies will be published together in 2023. The EEF believes this approach will better support schools’ interpretations of the findings
The EEF has a number of evidence-based resources that give schools valuable insight into the impact and implementation of phonics approaches. We would encourage schools to consult these resources:
- Teaching and Learning Toolkit
- KS1 literacy guidance
- Efficacy trial of Fresh Start, a Ruth Miskin Training programme for children in Years 5 – 8 who are struggling to read.