Early Phonics Instruction Leads To Better Reading

Research conducted by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (NICHD) reinforces that systematic and early instruction in phonics leads to better reading. This is because knowledge of sound-symbol relationships aids in the development of word recognition. Word recognition increases fluency since less effort must be applied to decoding. When less effort is applied to decoding, more attention may be applied to extracting meaning from print through heightened concept imagery, the ability to image basic concepts and visualize the gestalt from what is read or heard. This ability underlies oral and written language comprehension, problem solving, and critical thinking. Individuals with well developed concept imagery create imaged gestalts or holistic mental representations in their minds and, consequently, are able to process the “big picture” from which to reason, resolve problems, and think critically. They can perform higher order thinking skills such as understanding the main idea, making inferences, drawing conclusions, predicting, problem-solving, and performing other reasoning tasks. Conversely, lack of English code-breaking skills translates into the creation of a disability in basic reading skills.