What is the difference between synthetic and analytical phonics?

Learning to read is one of the most important skills our children will ever acquire, but the science behind the best way to help achieve this remains a hot topic of debate. Historically, there have been two main bodies of thought as to how children should learn to read in English: the ‘analytical phonics’ approach and the more recent, ‘synthetic phonics’ approach. These are two valued approaches across the English-speaking world, with pros and cons for each method. In this article, we will explore both, although the aim is not to advocate one above the other but to instead highlight the differences between them. It is the case that many teachers may use a combination of both methods.