Editing Phonics (section)

=== France ===

There has been a strong debate in [[France]] on the teaching of phonics ("méthode syllabique") versus whole language ("méthode globale"). After the 1990s, supporters of the latter started defending a so-called "mixed method" (also known as [[balanced literacy]]) in which approaches from both methods are used. France is home to some of the most influential researchers in psycho-pedagogy, cognitive sciences and neurosciences, such as [[Stanislas Dehaene]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25GI3-kiLdo&feature=youtu.be |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/25GI3-kiLdo| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|title=Youtube, How the Brain Learns to Read – Prof. Stanislas Dehaene, October 25, 2013|website=[[YouTube]]|date=25 October 2013 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> and [[:fr:Michel Fayol|Michel Fayol]], who support phonics.

More recently, with the appointment of the academic [[Jean-Michel Blanquer]] as minister of education, the ministry created a science educational council<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2018-03-24|title=Conseil scientifique de l'Éducation nationale|url=https://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Conseil_scientifique_de_l%27%C3%89ducation_nationale&oldid=146747364|journal=Wikipédia|language=fr}}</ref> chaired by Dehaene.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.education.gouv.fr/le-conseil-scientifique-de-l-education-nationale-au-service-de-la-communaute-educative-309492|title=Le conseil scientifique de l'éducation nationale, au service de la communauté éducative, education.gouv.fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reseau-canope.fr/conseil-scientifique-de-leducation-nationale.html|title=Le Conseil scientifique de l'éducation nationale}}</ref> This council openly supported phonics. In April 2018, the minister issued a set of four guiding documents<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.education.gouv.fr/cid129644/4-priorites-pour-renforcer-la-maitrise-des-fondamentaux.html|title=4 priorités pour renforcer la maîtrise des fondamentaux|last=nationale|first=Ministère de l'Éducation|work=Ministère de l'Éducation nationale|access-date=2018-05-06|language=fr-FR}}</ref> for early teaching of reading and mathematics and a booklet<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.education.gouv.fr/cid129644/4-priorites-pour-renforcer-la-maitrise-des-fondamentaux.html#Pour_enseigner_la_lecture_et_l_ecriture_au_CP_telechargez_le_guide|title=4 priorités pour renforcer la maîtrise des fondamentaux|last=nationale|first=Ministère de l'Éducation|work=Ministère de l'Éducation nationale|access-date=2018-05-06|language=fr-FR}}</ref> detailing phonics recommendations. Teachers unions and a few educationalists were very critical of his stances,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2013/12/31/apprentissage-de-la-lecture-depassons-l-opposition-archaique-entre-methode-syllabique-et-methode-globale_4341366_3232.html|title=Apprentissage de la lecture : opposer méthode syllabique et méthode globale est archaïque|website=Le Monde.fr|date=31 December 2013|language=fr|access-date=2018-05-06}}</ref> and classified his perspective as "traditionalist", trying to bring the debate to the political sphere. But Blanquer has openly declared that the so-called mixed approach is no serious choice.<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/education/article/2018/04/26/l-education-nationale-publie-quatre-circulaires-de-recommandations-pour-les-enseignants_5290908_1473685.html#bpvwbEylxc6AB5e7.99 « Entre quelque chose qui ne marche pas – la méthode globale – et quelque chose qui fonctionne – la syllabique – il ne peut y avoir de “compromis” mixte. Ce sujet ne relève pas de l’opinion, mais de faits démontrés par la recherche. C’est très clair. »]</ref>

In 2016, France is slightly above average in Reading Achievement for students in their fourth year of school according to the ''Progress in International Reading Literacy Study'' (PIRLS).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls2016/international-results/pirls/student-achievement/pirls-achievement-results/|title=Distribution of Reading Achievement, exhibit 1.1, PIRLS 2016}}</ref>