The British ''Jolly Phonics'' synthetic phonics method was found in independent studies to give children, after one year's tuition, an average reading age around 12 months ahead of chronological age. Their spelling age was found to be slightly further ahead, and boys typically did as well as girls. Synthetic phonics has a major and long-lasting effect on children's reading and spelling attainment, and gives children strategies for reading and writing that they wouldn't otherwise have had at the early stages using other methods.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4255069.stm ''Sounds help pupils with reading'']. BBC news Channel. 11 February, 2005. 12 May 2008.</ref> | The British ''Jolly Phonics'' synthetic phonics method was found in independent studies to give children, after one year's tuition, an average reading age around 12 months ahead of chronological age. Their spelling age was found to be slightly further ahead, and boys typically did as well as girls. Synthetic phonics has a major and long-lasting effect on children's reading and spelling attainment, and gives children strategies for reading and writing that they wouldn't otherwise have had at the early stages using other methods.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4255069.stm ''Sounds help pupils with reading'']. BBC news Channel. 11 February, 2005. 12 May 2008.</ref> |