To the editor,
Melissa Martin thinks that “the winner is phonics” (March 21).
The research tells us, however, that intensive phonics instruction only results in short-term gains on tests in which students have to pronounce words presented out of context; intensive phonics does not help performance on tests of reading comprehension.
The real winner is reading itself.
Some “basic phonics” is helpful, but the best predictor of performance on tests of reading comprehension is the amount of self-selected pleasure reading students have done.
Stephen Krashen
Professor Emeritus
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
