Longitudinal Study from Reception to Year 2 (2010-2013) and Summary of an earlier Longitudinal Study from Reception to Year 6 (1997-2004) The Effects of a Systematic Synthetic Phonics Programme on Reading, Writing and Spelling - with whole classes of children who started with the programme for first-time teaching in Reception (aged four to five years) and received small group teaching with the same programme for catch-up as required Dr. Marlynne Grant Chartered and Registered Educational Psychologist Longitudinal Studies with Synthetic Phonics from Reception to Year 2 and to Year 6 Introduction and Summary The aim of these studies is to demonstrate how all children can make a very good start with reading, writing and spelling at infant level (aged four to seven years) and can leave primary school (aged eleven years) well equipped for the literacy demands of secondary education. The studies also aim to demonstrate how disadvantaged children and struggling learners can overcome their difficulties and how literacy teaching and targeted interventions can be effective and have a long- lasting impact, without being expensive. The acquisition of literacy skills by children in the United Kingdom is a cause for concern. It has been reported that one in six eleven year olds leaves primary school in England still struggling to read (1).