Teaching methods and manuals for learning to read: How to choose?

Teaching methods for learning to read are the subject of much debate, and French publishers offer more than thirty-five manuals and reading methods. Which one to choose? The French Scientific Council address this issue by relying on the bulk of scientific knowledge now available on learning to read.

In the first part, authors briefly summarise current knowledge on the mechanisms of reading and learning. They also analyse the place of manuals in the broader context of teaching methods for learning to read. In a second step, they look at the use of manuals, their impact, and their future in a digital world. On this dual basis, the CSEN synthesis set out a series of principles that, according to current knowledge, should guide the design and evaluation of reading manuals. It also present a list of pitfalls to avoid.

This text was written under the supervision of Stanislas Dehaene, following the analysis led in 2018-2019 by the CSEN’s workgroup Pedagogies and teaching methods, in collaboration with the Parisian academy. This workgroup is coordinated by Maryse Bianco and Michel Fayol, and comprises also  Gérard Berry and Etienne Ghys. Notable contributors: Jérôme Deauvieau, Ghislaine Dehaene-Lambertz, Caroline Huron, Patrice Lemoine, Franck Ramus, Liliane Sprenger-Charolles and Johannes Ziegler.