Reading Phonics vs Whole Language and the Balanced Approach
... Phonics is defined as a process of decoding letters in the word and it also focuses on letter-sound relationship. The other approach, teaching the whole language, stresses the flow and meaning of the text. There is a debate about the effectiveness of phonics and whole language approaches, which creates a conflict for the teacher or parent who is teaching a child to read. ... “Reading is at the heart of every child’s learning” (Johnson, 1999, p. ... For some students phonics was the best way to learn how to read, while others preferred to use whole language method during their early school years. ... Phonics helps children to decode unfamiliar words during the reading process by dissecting them in parts and then putting the parts together to pronounce a word. This method is used mainly with younger children who are learning to read and write in their native language. ... The rules of language, sounds, spelling and relationship between the latter two are stressed in a phonics classroom. People, who are in favor of phonics view the reading process first of all as being able to decode the words and then the meaning will come naturally (Wren, 2001).