INSTRUCTIONAL GOAL: For a number of years, phonics was taught as the ultimate solution to reading problems. But as more and more people became "hooked on phonics," it became apparent that creative spelling was not the key to linguistic literacy or fluency. Hukt on foniks wuz not wurking; not outside of that small group who had learned foniks well, but were neither able to function adequately in the upper grades nor in advanced education environments where traditional spelling was required for comprehensible communications. Even in today's creative world of e-mail and text messaging, proper spelling, as it turns out, is still an important skill.
      But let us not make the mistake of throwing the baby (in this case, phonics) out with the bath water (skills which will help in reading rate, comprehension, and fluency). The important part required, as phonics instruction reaches its utilitarian plateau, is to bridge the gap betweek its linguistic shorthand and correct spelling rules.

This page last updated on March 20, 2009 Copyright 2007, 2009 -- Rita M. Wirtz, M.A. and Donald E. Werve, Jr., M.Ed. -- All Rights Reserved