In structured literacy, what is one goal of phonics instruction?

One key goal of phonics instruction within structured literacy is to teach students the connection between sounds and their written forms. This aspect of phonics enables learners to decode words by sounding them out and recognizing how specific letters and combinations of letters correspond to particular sounds. By mastering this connection, students develop foundational reading skills that allow them to tackle unknown words, ultimately leading to more fluent reading and better comprehension.

This understanding is essential as it equips learners to read new texts independently and with greater confidence. It goes beyond merely memorizing letters or focusing solely on handwriting, emphasizing the critical relationship between phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters or letter combinations), which is the cornerstone of proficient reading skills.