The front page story in the Feb. 23 Daily Progress (“Back to Basics”), about teaching phonics, caught my eye immediately. On the surface, phonics looks like a great idea. Just below the surface, it is ...

In response to Mona Charen’s Tuesday column supporting phonics reading instruction: The idea that English is a phonetic language is laughable. One symbol, one sound is a great idea. But that’s not ...

Regarding “why Johnny might finally learn to read (January 25).” Before you get too excited about a full phonics approach to teaching reading remember that you can spell “fish” “ghoti” (the “gh” in ...

As a teacher in Oakland, Calif., Kareem Weaver helped struggling fourth- and fifth-grade kids learn to read by using a very structured, phonics-based reading curriculum called Open Court. It worked ...

Editor's note: With low reading proficiency scores across the state, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is exploring the causes and consequences of low literacy. This article is part of the By the Book ...

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. DIANE PHILIPSON is a former primary school teacher who spends her days at home in Newcastle coaching children who are struggling to read ...

4:16 p.m. June 2, 2025: An earlier version of this report incorrectly said teaching phonics was new to Long Beach Unified. Some phonics has been taught in the district for years, but a new focus on ...