Book excerpt: The synthetic phonics approach is used in all primary schools in England. If you are a trainee or beginning primary school teacher, you need to demonstrate a confidence in the teaching of phonics to meet the Teachers′ Standards and gain QTS. This is a practical, up-to-date guide to teaching children to read using synthetic phonics. It helps you to understand the theory behind phonics and how children′s learning of reading can develop. It gives you practical teaching strategies and outlines how you can assess and diagnose reading problems. This second edition has been updated to include new chapters on the new Phonics Check in year 1 and overviews of popular phonics schemes used in England and Scotland.