In this episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, Jocelyn provides practical guidance for educators choosing phonics programs for their schools. She distinguishes between truly "evidence-based" programs (which have undergone rigorous third-party testing) and "evidence-informed" programs (which draw on research-backed instructional practices), noting that most available programs fall into the latter category. Jocelyn presents 10 key criteria for evaluation, including ensuring instruction focuses on word structure rather than whole words, using decodable texts aligned with student knowledge, progressing from simple to complex concepts, incorporating direct explicit instruction with guided practice, and meeting students at their point of need through data-informed decisions. 

She emphasises moving beyond social media recommendations to systematic evaluation using evidence-informed criteria, while also considering practical factors like cost and ongoing training sustainability. The episode includes a downloadable evaluation checklist to help school leaders make confident, research-aligned decisions about phonics instruction resources. 

Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch!

We have released Spelling Success in Action 1, a catch-up program for phonics, early morphology, and orthographic conventions for years 3 to 8. This program can be used one-on-one, in small groups, or as a whole class and is built on what the evidence tells us is the critical knowledge students need for strong spelling and the type of instruction that makes learning stick.

Learn more about this resource and order your copy at www.jocelynseamereducation.com

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