Re: Phonics Instruction

["Penelope S. Cunningham" <pscunnin@MAILBOX.SYR.EDU>]

>From my experience as a classroom teacher and as a librarian I would say
that the pnohics vs. sight words debate is controversial mostly because it
is asking the wrong question. Neither is better in itself. Everyone needs
to be able to recognize a large number of sight words as well as to have
the phonics skills to sound out unfamiliar words. Therefore students need
both. As far as which one to emphasize, it depends on the student. I once
taught a fifth grader who had come through a program that emphasized
phonics without learning to read. She literally couldn't sound out a
simple three letter word, though I could tell she was bright. I tutored
her using a "look, listen, and repeat" strategy and within two months she
was reading with her class. The opposite could be true for someone else,
though few students have such extreme learning styles.

Sister Penny Cunningham  pscunnin@mailbox.syr.edu
St. Mary-Basha Catholic School
Chandler, Arizona

A National Blue Ribbon School
Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence