Phonics

Phonics is considered by many as one of the most controversial topics in the field of reading. By definition, phonics is the collection of instructional approaches designed to teach children the connection between letters and sounds. Phonics plays an essential role in the teaching of reading. The historical role of phonics in the teaching of reading has been referred to as a pendulum, swinging back and forth from one extreme to the other. Phonics is an integral aspect of the teaching of reading, but the form it has taken and its emphasis have changed dramatically. This entry is intended to illuminate the history, current theories, and controversy surrounding the role of phonics in the teaching of reading.

A great deal of confusion exists in the field concerning the interconnected nature of certain key terms. Phonological awareness refers to the sound structure of language, of which there are many aspects. One of these aspects is phonemic awareness. Phonological awareness encompasses several different levels of understanding, and phonemic awareness is the most sophisticated of these levels. Phonemic awareness, also known as phoneme awareness, is the awareness of individual sound units, or phonemes, in spoken words. Phonemes [Page 704]are the smallest unit of sound in language. Phonics refers to the connection between sound and letter. Letter-sound correspondence involves the practice of phonics. Once a child is phonologically aware, phonics instruction may begin.

In the early years of formal reading instruction, phonics instruction in the form of skill and drill exercises was emphasized. The look-say method, emphasizing recognition of whole words, came into prominence in the 1920s. Beginning in the 1950s with Rudolph Flesch's Why Johnny Can't Read, phonics was identified as an essential, yet absent, component of reading. In 1967, Jeanne Chall put forth a model of the reading process that identified phonics as a critical prerequisite skill for advancing to higher levels of reading. In 1990, Marilyn Adams provided further support for the value of phonics to the teaching of reading in her work, Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Print. These research studies and reports, along with numerous others, set the stage for the controversy surrounding how and when to include phonics instruction in the teaching of reading. Each emphasized the critical nature of phonics instruction, but failed to agree on a single method.

Adams's work coincided with the emergence and dominance of the whole language movement. Whole language is a method of teaching reading that emphasizes the use of authentic literature to teach reading skills. Whole language became a dominant method of teaching reading in the 1990s, and explicit, systematic teaching of phonics skills in particular, was not emphasized. In 2000, the National Reading Panel published a report that identified the importance of systematic, explicit phonics instruction over the contextual phonics instruction provided by whole language. Countless research studies have provided additional support for the importance of systematic, explicit phonics instruction in learning to read, though not without controversy and dissension.

It is important to note that systematic, explicit approaches to phonics instruction can differ widely. Phonics instruction can be taught using a variety of approaches, including synthetic, analytic, and embedded. Synthetic phonics instruction involves students in first identifying letters and sounds, then blending these together to form words. It is a part-to-whole approach to phonics. Analytic approaches to teaching phonics involve students in first reading words, then breaking these words down into their individual letters and sounds. This is a whole-to-part approach to phonics. Embedded approaches to teaching phonics involve students in learning phonics skills by reading authentic texts. This approach may be compared to whole language; however, embedded phonics involves planned skills taught within the context of authentic literature. Embedded phonics formed in response to the intense criticism experienced by the whole language movement, and highlights the role of phonics instruction within the context of authentic literature.

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