California’s reading wars may finally be over. After decades of debate over how to teach reading, a new bill aims to use phonics to solve the state’s literacy crisis.

More American schools are now favoring the “science of reading" which focuses on phonics and vocabulary building block lessons over traditional “whole language" teaching.

Phonics was one of the tried and true methods that was used to teach reading back in the day (I’m almost 80). Even now, I use it to sound out new words that I come across.

There are many theories about the best way to teach reading: science of reading, whole language, balanced literacy. So what works best?

Inside the national effort to spread the science of reading and improve U.S. reading proficiency rates through phonics-based instruction.

Some use a combination of phonics and whole-language instruction. Governor is "hooked on phonics:" Science is 'abundantly clear,' some Ohio schools teach reading wrong ...

Education Week tracks which states mandate that schools use evidence-based methods to teach young students how to read.

Lucy Calkins, a leading literacy expert, has rewritten her curriculum to include a fuller embrace of phonics and the science of reading. Critics may not be appeased.