I definitely teach phonics to Beginning English Language Learners when I have that class (which I will during summer school), but not in the mind-numbing and devoid of meaning way I hear (and read) that it’s taught in some places.

Thanks to Susan Ohanian, I learned about this article over the weekend titled The sound and the fury about making sense of written words by an Australian professor.

Here’s the prologue:

He has been criticised over his refusal to bow to the idea that phonics is the only necessary first step in learning to read. Associate professor Brian Cambourne argues his case.

It’s a good article.