The Effects of Explicit Phonics Instruction on the Phonics Skills of Below Average
Third-Grade Students
Sharon Mason
May 2002
Even with the current consensus in education that phonics should be part of a balanced
literacy program, some children continue to struggle with the basic building blocks of
reading. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of explicit phonics
instruction on the phonics skills of third graders with below average reading abilities. An
experimental design using pre and post test assessments of eight phonics categories for a
control group (n=8) and a treatment group (n-8) was used for this study. The treatment
group participated in fourteen, thirty-minute sessions using direct instruction, practice
using sound sheets and flashcards, and application of the skill using phonics stories.
Analysis using a t test revealed significant differences in three of the phonics categories –
short vowels, long vowels, and controlled vowels. No significant difference was found in
the remaining five categories – initial consonants, consonant blends, consonant digraphs,
vowel digraphs, and schwa. Findings suggest that explicit instruction of phonics
increases phonics abilities in third-grade students. Further research is needed to
determine if additional explicit phonics instruction will reveal increases in the remaining
categories and to determine increases in global reading abilities.