An evaluation of systematized phonics on reading proficiency in Swedish second grade poor readers: Effects on pseudoword and sight word reading skills

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of systematized phonics on word reading in Swedish second grade poor readers. Forty‐nine children who performed at or below the 25th percentile on pseudoword reading and/or sight word reading at the beginning of second grade participated in the study. The study had a cross‐over design exploring within‐and between‐group effects of two different conditions: systematized phonics and classroom instruction. Overall, systematized phonics proved more effective than classroom instruction. At pre‐intervention, no child performed above the 30th percentile in pseudoword reading or sight word reading. At post‐intervention, corresponding numbers were 69% for pseudoword reading and 35% for sight word reading. Implications for a policy change in Sweden towards mandatory systematized phonics in primary school are discussed.