Bringing balance to the 'reading wars' debate | The Staffroom

A holistic view of how phonics, writing, reading and language come together to make a child truly literate.

Dominic Wyse and Charlotte Hacking tell Mark and Elaine about the "double helix" of reading and writing, an approach that combines phonics teaching with engaging reading and writing activities.

They chat about the importance of creating a balance – between fostering a child's early love for reading, and supporting children's ability to read through technical elements like phonics.

Full show notes: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2025/nov/bringing-balance-reading-wars-debate-staffroom-s06e01

Creators and Guests

EL

Host

Elaine Long

MQ

Host

Mark Quinn

What is IOE insights?

Thoughts and ideas on education, culture, psychology and social science to create lasting and evolving change from our academics, students, alumni and other brave thinkers. Podcasts brought to you by UCL Institute of Education (IOE), the world's leading centre for education and social science research, courses and teaching, and a faculty of University College London (UCL).

More from us: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe