The approach can Be controversial at times

Please look through the following article:

It discusses the long-standing debate about the best way to teach children how to read. 

It is also very long. It is ok to speed read to get the concepts. 

In summary there have traditionally been two main approaches: phonics (teaching sounds of letters) and whole language (learning to read through exposure to written language). The discussion has been coming up among educators and influencing the way reading instruction occurs. 

Key Points:

1. The Writing System Matters: How we write words affects how we learn to read them.
2. Experience Matters: Reading more helps you become a better reader.
3. Comprehension is Complex: Understanding what you read is a complicated process that involves many different skills.