Phonics vs Whole Language

The Arguments:

There is a big debate over whether Phonics, or the Whole Language System, should be used to teach reading. The arguments follow:

Proponents for Phonics make these arguments:

More children learn to read in first grade with Phonics.
Whole Language delays learning to read, and even prevents some pupils from ever learning to read.
Phonics is a tight compact coding system that makes an efficient reading device driver for the human brain.
The words are broken up into sounds.
Phonics functions automatically, without any effort from the reader.
Words read themselves.
Whole Language requires a huge mental dictionary, to keep track of all of the properties of each word.
Whole Language requires effort on the part of the reader.
The much larger Whole Language dictionary takes longer to search.
Phonics tables are sorted, allowing much faster lookup. Whole Language tables can be sorted by spelling, but not by sounds.

Proponents for Whole Language make these arguments:

Phonics requires special training that most elementary teachers do not have. It would throw teachers out of work.
Phonics is a lot more work for teachers.
Phonics takes up a large part of the first grade.
Phonics requires the pupils to do more work in a short time.
Whole Language retains the beauty in language that phonics destroys.
Words are not broken up into sounds.
Teachers unions do not want Phonics because some of their members are not qualified.
Phonics requires a two-step table lookup. Whole Language requires only one step.

The Systems:

Phonics:

The Phonics System consists of the following parts within the mind:

A small device driver that works the auditory, vocal, reading, writing, and word memory systems
A small Phonics table with 80 rows and 3 columns connecting the phonics, writing, and speech together
A compact dictionary with phonics and meanings

It looks more complicated, but once operating, it functions in a much simpler way.

The device driver takes care of the operations of hearing, speaking, reading, and writing the word, phonic by phonic.

Here is the entire Phonics table. Only one is needed, because it works for all words:

VOWELS				VOWELS				CONSONANTS				CONSONANTS
Phonic	Spell	Sound	Sample	Phonic	Spell	Sound	Sample	Phonic	Spell	Sound	Sample	Phonic	Spell	Sound	Sample
ā	a	e	pay	ō	o	o	tone	b	b	b	boy	n	n	n	net
ă	a	æ	cat	ŏ	o	ɔ	pod	ch	ch	tʃ	check	ñ	n	ŋ	rink
â	a	a	ball	ọ	o	ə	atom	ch	ch	k	mach	ph	ph	f	physics
ä	a	a	car	o	o	-	gaol	çh	ch	ʃ	cache	p	p	p	pan
ạ	a	ə	pica	ū	u	iu	cute	c	c	k	coat	q	q	k	quest
a	a	-	boat	ŭ	u	ʌ	cut	ç	c	s	pace	š	s	ʒ	fusion
ē	e	i	beet	û	u	u	tube	d	d	d	dog	sh	sh	ʃ	cash
ĕ	e	ε	pet	ü	u	-	curb	f	f	f	fix	s	s	s	safe
ë	e	-	berm	ụ	u	ə	circus	f	f	v	of	ʂ	s	z	is
ẹ	e	ə	bracket	u	u	-	guitar	gh	gh	f	tough	ti	ti	ʃ	station
e	e	-	pace	ŵ	w	u	blew	gh	gh	g	ghost	th	th	θ	think
ī	i	ai	mice	ẇ	w	ə	cwm	gh	gh	-	though	th	th	ð	this
ĭ	i	I	fit	w	w	-	hawk	g	g	g	g	t	t	t	task
ï	i	-	bird	ȳ	y	ai	cyan	ğ	g	dʒ	germ	v	v	v	give
ị	i	ə	cretin	ẏ	y	I	typical	ĝ	g	ʒ	regime	wh	wh	hw	while
i	i	-	piece	ŷ	y	i	happy	h	h	h	hat	w	w	w	wind
r	r	ɹ	bird	ÿ	y	-	myrrh	j	j	dʒ	jar	x	x	ks	exit
ōo	oo	u	boot	ỵ	y	ə	vinyl	ĵ	j	ʒ	jure	x	x	z	xanthic
ŏo	oo	U	book	y	y	-	payment	k	k	k	kiss	y	y	j	yell
								l	l	l	list	z	z	z	zoo
								m	m	m	miss	ž	z	ʒ	azure

Notes on the Phonics table:

The Phonic column is the respelling used to index the words to their sounds and spellings. The user is usually not conscious of this after the lower grades, as it is automatic.
The Spell column gives the way to write and read the word. It is obtained by stripping the special marks off the Phonic. Thus, it is not in the dictionary, but is derived from the Phonic column.
The Sound column is in the table in the form of links to mental routines needed to hear and speak the sounds.
The Sample column is not in the mental table. It is provided here so a Whole Language reader of this article can get an idea of what the correct sound for the row is.

The internal Phonics table needs only two columns, Phonic, and Sound.

The Phonics System also needs a dictionary table. It has three columns. Here are some sample dictionary entries:

Phonic	Definition	Link
căsh	Money in the form of currency and coins.	Link to image of money
căt	A small animal used for a pet.	Link to image of a cat
cătīŏn	A positive ion, attracted to a cathode.	Link to chemistry entries
căthōde	A negative electrode of an electrolytic or electronic circuit.	Image link
câutiọn	Being careful to avoid a hazard.	Link to self-preservation routines

Notes on the Phonics dictionary:

The Phonic column is the respelling used to store and recover the sounds, speech, and spellings of the words.
The Definition column gives the meaning of the word.
The Link column contains links to images or sounds related to the word.
One dictionary entry is needed for each word the person knows.

Whole Language:

The Whole Language System consists of the following parts within the mind:

Separate device drivers for each of these systems: auditory, vocal, reading, writing, and word memory
A large dictionary with separate entries for each of these systems: auditory, vocal, reading, writing, and word meanings

The Whole Language System needs a dictionary table. It has many columns. Here are sample dictionary entries for the same words:

Spelling	Definition	Link	Instructions for hearing the word.	Instructions for speaking the word.
cash	Money in the form of currency and coins.	Link to image of money	Sound recording of "cash"	Muscle motions to speak "cash"
cat	A small animal used for a pet.	Link to image of a cat	Sound recording of "cat"	Muscle motions to speak "cat"
cation	A positive ion, attracted to a cathode.	Link to chemistry entries	Sound recording of "cation"	Muscle motions to speak "cation"
cathode	A negative electrode of an electrolytic or electronic circuit.	Image link	Sound recording of "cathode"	Muscle motions to speak "cathode"
caution	Being careful to avoid a hazard.	Link to self-preservation routines	Sound recording of "caution"	Muscle motions to speak "caution"

Notes on the Whole Language dictionary:

The Spelling column has the spelling of the words for reading and writing.
The Definition column gives the meaning of the word.
The Link column contains links to images or sounds related to the word.
The Instructions for hearing the word column contains a recording of the entire word, to be matched with the word heard. This uses a lot of memory.
The Instructions for speaking the word column contains a sequence of muscle movements needed to say the entire word. This uses a lot of memory.
One dictionary entry is needed for each word the person knows.

This table is several times larger than the dictionary table needed for Phonics. Thus, it takes longer to search. In addition, the matching of sounds also takes longer.

Conclusions:

The Whole Language System is a large unwieldy system that inhibits learning.
The Phonics System is a small compact system that makes reading and learning much easier.
Labor unions must not be dictating the methods used for teaching children.
The methods that benefit children the most must be used, not the method that is the least work for teachers.

Children need Phonics to learn to read properly.