Hi Karen
The more enlightened schools are already using "synthetic phonics" together with other methods to teach according to pupils individual learning needs. There always were and always will be children who struggle with reading.
Remember that children these days leave primary school knowing more physics, algebra and poetry-forms than I encountered in the whole of my secondary education! We had to learn them at teacher training college in order to teach the children! I am sure they had not even invented haikus when I was at primary - but any self-respecting 9 year old can produce one at the drop of a hat. The timetable is absolutely crammed with things that have to be inserted into their little heads. For some children, this doesn't give the time and the individual attention they sorely need to learn to read fluently.
Another factor is how the school chooses to spend its budget. Some invest heavily in support staff to help those children who need it, others chose to spend it on shiny new equipment to impress prospective parents (you have to keep the numbers up in order to attract funding!) It is a complicated issue.
Don't believe everything you read!!
In my opinion, you were very unlucky to encounter the ITA - many children's spelling never recovered.
End of today's lesson
