The teaching of phonics involves learning which sounds go with which letters.
Children read and write before they learn the detailed rules.
In a whole-language program, children are taught the nuts and bolts of language while they are engaged in meaningful reading and writing. The Debate and the Balance. Educators hotly dispute how children should be taught to read. Despite the debate, research shows that exemplary teachers rarely rely on a single method. Instead they teach according to the needs of each child, using both phonics and whole language to complement their entire approach.