The purpose of this study is to investigate the reading methods that pedagogues, active in classes 1-3, use in the first stage of learning to read and how they consider their own choices of methods. In the theoretical background I sort out the basic differences between synthetic and analytic methods of acquiring the skills of reading. The analytic reading method means that the skills of reading starts with the complete text in order to later analyze the parts of the text. The synthetic method approach is based on a reading method where the parts are linked as a whole. The two methods are considered antipodes but can also be looked upon as complements in the current governing documents. In order to find the answer  to the purpose of this study a qualitative survey has been realized where the pedagogues have had the opportunity to motivate their choices of reading methods.

The survey was designed in order to investigate if the pedagogues make their choices using the guidelines in the Swedish curriculum about individualized tuition. The result of the survey can be summarized as follows, the majority of the pedagogues claim that they make a conscious choice of the skills of reading methods through an individualized perspective in order to be able to meet each and every pupil’s different qualifications/conditions and needs.