Researchers have discovered that traditional phonics, with its emphasis on letters, sounds, and words, ignores the complexity of children's natural learning processes, including children's inclination to focus first on the text, then on whole words, and then on their constituent parts. Whole-to-part phonics offers a concise, accessible introduction to this research and proven strategies for translating it into effective classroom practice. The contributors to Whole-to-part phonics recognize that children need to understand letter-sound relationships in order to become independent and fluent readers. But, they argue, this knowledge is of little value unless children learn how to use it in context. Accordingly, the authors maintain that children's encounters with print lay the groundwork for effective phonics learning. By drawing on children's wider experience and their preferred modes of learning, whole-to-part phonics enables students to focus on the construction of meaning rather than the decoding of text.

In a Fresh Look at Phonics, Wiley Blevins, author of the blockbuster Phonics from A-Z, explains the 7 ingredients of phonics instruction that lead to the greatest student gains, based on two decades of research in classrooms. For each of these seven must-haves, Wiley shares lessons, routines, word lists, tips for ELL and advanced learners, and advice on pitfalls to avoid regarding pacing, decodable texts, transition time, and more. A Fresh Look at Phonics is the evidence-based solution you have been seeking that ensures all students develop a solid foundation for reading.

The authors offer ideas for developing strategies including word sorts, cluster analyses, homophone pairs, silent letter searches, cumulative charts and word webs.

"This is part of the Research-Informed Classroom series and is about the importance of teaching phonics and language development in young children"--

Revised and updated, this invaluable resource includes ready-made lessons, extensive word lists, quick assessments, and so much more to help struggling readers develop the skills they need to successfully decode.

Margaret Moustafa fills you in on exciting new research discoveries of how children learn to read and relates these discoveries to reading instruction.