Phonics is a method of teaching reading and spelling that focuses on the relationship between sounds and their corresponding written symbols, or letters. It is based on the understanding that letters represent sounds, and by learning the relationship between letters and sounds, individuals can decode and encode words.

In phonics instruction, students are taught to recognize the sounds that individual letters and letter combinations make, as well as the rules governing how these sounds are combined in written language. This includes understanding concepts such as letter-sound correspondence, phonemic awareness (the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in words), and phonological awareness.