Phonics vs. Balanced Literacy: A Classroom Comparison
Reading & Literacy Interactive

Phonics vs. Balanced Literacy: A Classroom Comparison

By Liana Loewus — October 02, 2019 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Copy URL

Want to know if a K-2 classroom is using explicit, systematic phonics or balanced literacy? This visual illustrates some of the main instructional differences between the two approaches to early reading.

Liana Loewus
Assistant Managing Editor
Liana Loewus was an assistant managing editor for Education Week who oversaw news coverage of teaching and learning.
Related Tags:
Early Literacy Instruction

Visualization: Vanessa Solis

Events

Wed., April 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by STARI
Register
Thu., May 14, 2026, 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. ET
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Register
Mon., April 20, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar Portrait of a Learner: From Vision to Districtwide Practice
Learn how one district turned Portrait of a Learner into an aligned, systemwide practice that sticks.
Content provided by Otus
Register
See More Events

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs
Create Your Own Job Search

Read Next

Reading & Literacy How a School's Language Lab Teaches Non-Phonics Reading Skills
In 'language lab,' teachers work on vocabulary and syntax to help students understand complex text.
Sarah Schwartz
•
5 min read
5th grade classroom in February. A morpheme word sort, sentence combining practice, and syntax surgery.
In a 5th grade classroom at Rock Rest Elementary, near Charlotte, N.C., students practice combining sentences and participate in "syntax surgery" to order the parts of complex sentence.<br/>
Madison Hart, Rock Rest Elementary
Reading & Literacy Quiz Risk vs. Reward: How Defensible Is Your Literacy Strategy?
Build a stronger case for your literacy approach. Test your knowledge of research-driven strategies that support reading success with this quick quiz.
Reading & Literacy Opinion What the 'Science of Reading' Movement Has Meant for English Learners
We should think of reading instruction for multilingual learners as a bridge, not a checklist.
Larry Ferlazzo
•
8 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Quiz Quiz Yourself: Best Practices for Supporting Older Struggling Readers
Older students who struggle with reading face challenges that go beyond comprehension. Do you know what they are and how to best help them?
Load More ▼