Bridging the gap: ensuring synthetic phonics continues from kindergarten into primary school in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study investigates the continuity of phonics instruction from kindergarten to primary school in Hong Kong using a mixed-methods approach, including a survey of 114 teachers and parents alongside qualitative open-ended responses. The findings reveal a significant perceived disconnect between kindergarten and primary phonics instruction. While 46.2% of respondents believed children retained only some phonics knowledge, 42.9% reported that phonics was not taught systematically in primary school. Major challenges included a busy primary curriculum and differing teaching approaches between educational levels. Qualitative analysis identified enhanced teacher training and the development of a clear cross-level phonics curriculum as key factors supporting continuity. The findings suggest that without structured policy and collaborative planning, the benefits of early phonics instruction may be reduced during the critical early years of literacy development.