The phonics formulas can be applied again and again, and will help a child with spelling far more than the memorization and guesswork of whole language. If only taught phonetically, however, a child may have difficulty understanding the full meaning of a text, due to the constant breaking down of words into parts. Phonics critics also state that the rules and rote learning it entails are stifling and may cause children to develop the attitude that reading is a chore. Whole language learning is thought to provide a better understanding of the text, and a more interesting and creative approach to reading. However, whole language learning may come at the expense of accuracy and correctness.
Small children tend to fall into the categories of either visual or auditory learners.
Visual learners, on the one hand, are more likely to benefit from the whole language approach since their strength is in recognizing words and word sequences that they have seen before. On the other hand, auditory students learn what they hear so they rely more on phonetics. Despite the differences in how children learn, most learn through a combination of techniques. That fact, plus the different strengths that each method offers, suggests that a mixed approach for each child will probably be most beneficial. All rights reserved.