The process of instructing individuals in the phonetic values associated with graphemes is fundamental to early literacy acquisition. This involves connecting written symbols with their corresponding auditory pronunciations, enabling decoding and encoding of written language. For instance, a learner will associate the visual representation of ‘b’ with the sound /b/.
Effective instruction in this area provides a crucial foundation for reading fluency and comprehension. Competency allows for independent word recognition, which, in turn, reduces cognitive load during reading, facilitating a greater focus on meaning extraction. Historically, various methodologies have been employed, but the core principle remains consistent: establishing a robust link between letters and their sounds.