The Balancing Act: An Evidence-Based Approach to Teaching Phonics, Reading and Writing

Dominic Wyse, Charlotte Hacking Press Reviews

“The Balancing Act is a masterful presentation of a timely resource, eloquently underscoring the importance of centring children's voices and experiences in literacy education. It advocates for a balanced approach that respects and responds to individual needs. The 'Double Helix of Teaching Reading and Writing' model presented in the book is particularly noteworthy. This sophisticated and innovative approach deserves empirical study to explore its full potential in teaching. The book brilliantly demystifies the often-misunderstood concept of the 'Balanced Approach,' distinguishing it from the 'Whole Language' method. Packed with evidence-based insights and actionable suggestions for educators, The Balancing Act stands as an essential read for anyone committed to truly understanding and implementing effective, child-centred education methods.” Hyejeong Ahn, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, University of Melbourne Graduate School of Education, Australia

“This is such an important book. It hacks through the thick undergrowth of research and angry contestation, carving out a clear and convincing path towards a balanced and well-evidenced approach to the teaching of reading. The newly minted metaphor of the double helix is ground-breaking but it’s not only the principles, ideas and research analysis that make this book so valuable. The practical exemplification, with chapters based on using specific picture books in the classroom, offers teachers a brilliantly thorough, detailed, carefully explained and convincing account of how to make the ‘balanced’ approach to reading work in practice. It also shows how to use the approach at different stages in the process, in a way that takes account of children’s differing ease and speed of development. The combination of illuminating use of research, principles based on experience, and intimate knowledge of classroom practices and texts for children, makes this is a key text in shaping our thinking about the teaching of reading, both now, and in the future.” Barbara Bleiman, English Consultant and former Co-Director at the English and Media Centre, UK

“Wyse and Hacking's new book is a delight to read. They rightly stress the key importance of language skills, rhyming and singing for children's ability to build the foundation required to support phonics acquisition. Their selection of outstanding picture books for children along with insightful guidance about how to build different aspects of reading tuition around these books is probably unique and should ensure widespread impact.” Usha Goswami, Professor of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK.

“Teachers in many classrooms today, and those who provide professional development for teachers, are faced with many challenges as they try to navigate top-down policies that define literacy narrowly and dictate what and how teachers should teach. This is particularly true for the teaching of phonics, and as a result other aspects of literacy, particularly writing, do not receive the attention they deserve. In The Balancing Act, Wyse and Hacking provide a resource that respects the professionalism of teachers by critically interrogating and discussing the interplay between reading policy, pedagogy and practice and promotes a sense of agency that is being lost in the midst of restrictive policy mandates. The focus on literacy as a complex process and the provision and use of authentic enjoyable materials and experiences as platforms to teach literacy is welcome.” Sinead Harmey, Associate Professor in Literacy Education, Institute of Education (IOE), University College London (UCL), UK.