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., October 28, 2026, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET
Artificial Intelligence Webinar AI and 'Techlash' Are on a Collision Course. How Should Schools Respond?
Learn what strategies and tactics schools can develop to encourage smart and responsible AI use, while also enforcing tech guardrails.
Register
Wed., October 28, 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
Special Education Webinar Special Education Disputes & Rising Costs: Protecting Your District
Special education costs and risks are rising. Learn how stronger IEP and Medicaid processes help districts protect funding and compliance.
Content provided by Relay
Register
Thu., October 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
Personalized Learning Webinar Differentiation That Delivers: Proven Practices From High-Growth Districts
Make every minute count. Proven strategies from educators and leaders driving real student growth. Save your seat!
Content provided by i-Ready, Curriculum Associates
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 What's Driving the 'Southern Surge?' Report Examines Reading Gains in Alabama
The state invested in coaching and relied on top-down leadership.
Sarah Schwartz
•
5 min read
Students look at books during a book fair at Schaumburg Elementary, part of the ReNEW charter network, in New Orleans, Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana have seen a promising turnaround in their student reading scores after passing a series of similar literacy reforms.
Students look at books during a book fair at Schaumburg Elementary, part of the ReNEW charter network, in New Orleans on April 19, 2023. Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana have seen a promising turnaround in their student reading scores after passing a series of similar literacy reforms.
Gerald Herbert/ AP
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 Whitepaper Closing the Comprehension Chasm: A Guide for District Leaders
Our free field guide gives district leaders five moves to make now.
Content provided by ANet
Reading & Literacy How One Library Is Linking Storytime to Classroom Lessons
In one county, some after-school programs use the schools' curriculum. It could boost kids' reading, experts say.
Sarah Schwartz
•
6 min read
Soddy-Daisy
Kids gather in a circle to learn how to play marbles during the after school programming in the community library in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn. on Oct. 1, 2026. The library is going beyond traditional academic enrichment to connect with a school district's literacy curriculum.
Kevin Wurm for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Q&A Why This Under-the-Radar Piece of Literacy Reform Is One of the Most Important
Parent notification is a central piece of reading reform, this advocate says.
Elizabeth Heubeck
•
5 min read
Collage of a Black female reading a book with her young daughter on her lap. Other pieces of the collage show an open book with non-legible text, speech bubbles, the letter "A" and a butterfly.
Collage by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva