Phonics as a basis for early literacy learning : A study of teachers’ perceptions of the phonic method

Phonics is a way of learning to read that many researchers and authors regard as a successful method for early literacy acquisition. The aim of this study was to find out what teachers in grades 1–3 think about phonics. To do so, three teachers who teach with the aid of the phonic method were interviewed. The results present the teachers’ attitudes and opinions of the method. They think that phonics must be used when pupils learn to read, and they consider that the advantages of the method outweigh the disadvantages. They see benefits in using phonics, so that the pupils will read longer and harder words, but they think that the method can be difficult for pupils who have Swedish as a second language