Why is Learning Phonics Important?

Question

Phonics is one of the stepping stones for students of all ages and levels to improve their reading comprehension. It's also a great aid in spelling.

Answer 1

Phonics is the foundation of building reading fluency. When students learn the relationship between sounds and their spellings, they are able to decode, or sound out, the words. Learning to decode words results in greater word recognition and increases reading fluency. When students are able to decode words it allows them to focus on the meaning of the text which results in improved reading comprehension. Additionally, phonics instruction improves the student's ability to spell because they learn the spelling patterns rather than rely on rote memory.

Answer 2

Phonics is one of the most important tools in teaching reading comprehension. Knowledge of letters and their sounds help students to decode words. Decoding words helps in word recognition and increased fluency. When students can increase their fluency, they can go beyond struggling with words and can focus on reading comprehension. This is an amazing tool to use with struggling readers.