PHONICS and WHOLE LANGUAGE: Working Together to Accomplish a Common Goal

Abstract

Phonics-based reading instruction teaches children to break down unfamiliar words into smaller parts and blend them to form complete words, using letter-sound relationships as a decoding strategy. This approach builds on the understanding that 26 letters represent about 44 speech sounds, with roughly 70 common spellings for those sounds. Phonics instruction is considered one of the most effective ways to prepare children for reading by building foundational skills like phonemic awareness, letter recognition, and decoding. Mastery of phonics supports early reading success by helping students understand how written letters correspond to spoken sounds and how to apply rules to recognize words. While phonics is essential, effective reading instruction should also include whole language elements, as both are needed to develop reading comprehension and overall literacy proficiency. Curriculum Associates’ I-Ready Reading Program is an adaptive, technological reading program that combines theory with practice to provide students in grades K-8 with reading intervention skills to develop and improve vocabulary and reading comprehension proficiency.