Phonics vs. Whole Language as Reading Instruction Techniques

In educational circles, the phonics vs. whole language methods debate has raged for decades. Phonics teaches students to decode or 'sound out' words. Whole language teaches students to approach the word as a unit and context clues to figure out what the word means. Opponents of phonics and decoding instruction say that phonics is to limited and technical. It doesn't teach children to understand words. They say phonics only teachers splinter skills (useless, unrelated skills) that do not further a child's ability to read. Opponents of whole language instruction say that as an approach to reading whole language is too vague. Whole language leaves a lot to guesswork and chance. If children can't read one word in a sentence, how will they be able to read and understand other words?

I'm a devotee of phonics instruction, myself. When I was in first grade and learning to read, my parents had moved from Michigan to Alaska. The Alaskan school systems have always been known for their innovative and comprehensive educational methods. A new phonics program was used teaching children to decode words. Each child would spend instructional time with a reel-to-reel tape player, learning to sound out words printed on large cards. Students were taught to operate the machine which played recordings of word pronunciation. Students would repeat the word and write it. By the end of first grade, I was reading at about a 4th grade level.

As I continued my education, my reading and comprehension skills were always greatly advanced. Other students who learned to read phonetically experienced great gains in reading as well. As an adult, I've spoken to other adults about their reading experiences. Those who were not taught phonics said, almost unilaterally, that they did feel comfortable with their reading skills and usually did and do not read for pleasure. I attribute my excellent reading skills both to this phonics program and to my parents for instilling a love reading in their child.

As a special education teacher, we were taught both whole language and phonics teaching methods. Michigan produced many educational leaders in the field of reading instruction. I learned Barnell-Loft, Schmerler Phonics, SIMS, SRA, LEA, ELS, Reading Their Way, Dr. Ascher's TPR Language Experience Approach and many other reading, phonics and language instruction methods. In my 25 years of teaching, I have learned that there need not be a phonics vs. whole language debate. There is a place for both strategies in reading instruction. Phonics gives students the tools to read the word; whole language helps students understand the word within a sentence. The approaches should not be mutually exclusive.