Phonics instruction makes no sense at all to children who do not have an overall conception of what the complex process of reading really is about. Reading is comprehending. Reading is actively seeking meaning. Reading is making sense of an author's message using background knowledge combined with the reader's use of context. Reading is using one's metacomprehension abilities.
Children learn phonics by writing.
Most phonics rules can be broken. Quality phonics programs are a part of a total reading program and are based upon reading and writing actual texts. Phonics in Proper Perspective. Data on long-term effects of phonics instruction are scanty. Synthetic phonics instruction falls into a vast category of weak reading instruction while analytic phonics instruction can prove valuable.