Whole language advocates believe that instruction should focus on immersing students in meaningful reading materials. Those who support systematic phonics instruction want children to read meaningful material, but note that students cannot read a whole story unless they can decode most of the words in it. Phonics instruction is based on the alphabetic principle, and emphasizes teaching children the relationship between sounds and letters. Moreover, learning to read is not a natural developmental phenomenon, since many cultures over the centuries never evolved writing systems on their own. To ensure steady progress in reading, all primary grade teachers should provide both explicit systematic phonics instruction and a variety of high quality reading materials that motivate students to read fluently and with understanding.
Most parents think that phonics has triumphed.
However, many educators are saying that the education establishment has circled the wagons to preserve whole-language instruction. They are determined to defy any change because they think that phonics is a right-wing conspiracy. Massachusetts Mandate Ignored In March of 1998 a report by the National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, attempted to put an end to the debate between phonics and whole language advocates. Massachusetts, like many other states, has made phonics instruction part of its public education curriculum. But neither that mandate nor the scientific reports have made much impact on Massachusetts education establishment.