Rachel Otwell's "Rethinking reading" (
IT Feb. 25) raises the need for phonics instruction, the process of learning letter sounds. I agree. Phonics hasn't been stressed for many years. I encountered the lack of phonics instruction in 1970 as a student at the University of Illinois. One of my classes required tutoring a student in reading. My student did not know pronunciations so I introduced phonics. He improved. In my required paper for the class, I shared the success. The professor gave me a C, with the comment, "Well-written. But, we do not teach phonics." Stunned, I said, "If a child needs phonics, then I think phonics should be taught." He just peered at me and repeated, "We do not teach phonics." I continue to believe teaching phonics is important.