ABSTRACT
Assessing a particular method of remedial teaching can be a long thankless task stretching over months, perhaps years. Usually children will have to encounter both methods during their time learning to read, so the problem of which method to use could be regarded as simply a question of the order of encounter of each approach. The child is able to learn to read much faster and the regular symbol-to-sound connections become well-learned. The first stages of reading can normally be approached in two different ways. In the whole-word method the child builds up a basic sight vocabulary of words, which when used in different combinations enable him to construct his own sentences. In the phonics method the child is presented with a small set of regularly spelled words in such a manner that knowledge of the connections between letters and their individual sounds is built up.
