Breaking the Code: The Importance of Phonics for Older Students
Reading is the foundation of learning.
At the North Tyneside Dyslexia Team, we work with students who face significant challenges in learning to read and spell. As specialist literacy teachers with postgraduate qualifications in dyslexia and literacy difficulties, we support children and young people across mainstream schools who need the most intensive help. We are the "experts at hand" described in the recent White Paper, supporting students who have the greatest difficulty learning to read and spell.
When Reading Doesn't Become Effortless
The Government's ambition is that by the time students reach Year 7, their reading should be fluent enough to allow them to access the curriculum confidently across all subjects. Unfortunately, this is not always the reality for the students we support.
One of the most common difficulties we encounter is students who rely almost entirely on reading by sight. These students attempt to recognise words from memory, rather than using strategies to work out unfamiliar words. This approach can appear successful in the early years, when books contain simple vocabulary and supportive illustrations. However, as students’ progress through school, texts become longer, vocabulary becomes more complex, and pictures disappear.
They may encounter Shakespearian texts, for example, which contain unfamiliar words. In these circumstances relying on memory alone is no longer enough for accurate decoding. Students cannot possibly memorise every word they will encounter.
When faced with unfamiliar vocabulary, they often begin to guess, skip words, or lose meaning altogether. By Upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3, these difficulties can have a significant impact on their learning across the curriculum.
Why Phonics Matters Beyond Primary School
While it is important for students to build a bank of words they can recognise instantly, they also need a reliable strategy for tackling words they have never seen before. This is where phonics becomes essential as they are likely to meet subject vocabulary they have not encountered before and do not see regularly.
Phonics provides students with the tools to understand how speech sounds are represented in written language. These sound-letter relationships are the building blocks of reading and spelling. By understanding how the alphabetic code works, students can decode unfamiliar words, develop vocabulary, improve comprehension, and become more accurate spellers.
English is undoubtedly a complex language. The same sound can be represented in different ways. Consider the words play, rain, name or sleigh. The /ay/ sound can be represented in many ways. Conversely, the same spelling pattern can represent different sounds, for example /ow/ as in snow or /ow/ as in cow.
Many spelling patterns are not immediately obvious. Yet understanding this code is fundamental to becoming a successful reader.
The Wider Impact of Reading Difficulties
Students who struggle to read fluently often find it difficult to keep up with the pace with learning in the classroom.
Reading is central to almost every subject area, when reading becomes difficult, learning becomes difficult too. Over time, some students may become frustrated, lose confidence, or disengage from lessons altogether. In some cases, this can contribute to challenging behaviour as students attempt to avoid tasks they find overwhelming. Improving reading skills therefore benefits not only academic achievement but also confidence, independence, and engagement with learning.
Phonics Across the Secondary Curriculum
Unlike primary schools, secondary schools are not required to follow a particular phonics programme. As a result, many subject teachers may not see themselves as teachers of reading. However, every subject introduces specialist vocabulary that students must learn to read, understand, and spell. Small adjustments in classroom practice can make a significant difference.
When teachers draw attention to syllables, prefixes, suffixes, and common phonics patterns within subject-specific vocabulary, they provide valuable support for students who struggle with reading. These simple strategies help develop independence and confidence while reinforcing literacy across the curriculum.
Introducing the "Code Breaker"
To support schools and students, the Dyslexia Team has developed a practical resource called The Code Breaker.
The Code Breaker is a comprehensive map of English speech sounds designed specifically for secondary-aged learners. It helps students:
- Recall and apply phonics patterns more effectively.
- Learn less common spelling patterns.
- Improve reading accuracy.
- Strengthen spelling skills.
- Develop greater independence when tackling unfamiliar vocabulary.
The resource can be used during literacy interventions, small-group support, and within mainstream subject lessons. It is also fully compatible with existing commercial phonics programmes.
We have also developed a version without illustrations, allowing schools to integrate it seamlessly alongside other phonics approaches already in use.
One secondary school within North Tyneside is already using The Code Breaker as part of a whole-school literacy strategy, to improve students’ reading and spelling skills.
A small section of the vowel Code Breaker is shown here.
Preparing for Future Reading Expectations
Designed for students in Year 6 and above, Code Breaker training helps strengthen reading and spelling skills by providing practical, phonics-based strategies that can be used across a wide range of learning contexts. With the recent White Paper highlighting the possibility of a reading test for Year 8 students as early as 2028, schools may wish to consider ways of ensuring students are well prepared for future reading demands.
The Code Breaker equips staff with effective tools to support struggling readers, build confidence, and develop the literacy skills students need to succeed both in school and beyond.
Training Available for North Tyneside Schools
The Dyslexia Team offers training on the use of The Code Breaker to schools across North Tyneside. For further information, please get in touch.
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Article by
Alison Davison
North Tyneside Dyslexia Team - Specialist Teacher
