Which type of phonics emphasizes sound-letter relationships over memorizing whole words?

The selected answer accurately reflects the focus of analytic phonics, which is centered on teaching the relationships between sounds and letters rather than relying on the memorization of whole words. In analytic phonics, learners are guided to break down words into their individual phonemes and graphemes, allowing them to understand how sounds combine to form words. This method promotes phonemic awareness by enabling students to decode words through their understanding of sound-letter correspondence.

In contrast, alternative approaches such as global phonics prioritize recognizing whole words at once, potentially bypassing the foundational skills of phonics. Innovative phonics may incorporate a variety of strategies, but it does not specifically emphasize sound-letter relationships in the same direct way as analytic phonics. Experiential phonics focuses on learning through context and experience, often in a more holistic manner rather than the explicit teaching of sound-letter relationships. This highlights the significance of analytic phonics in fostering a deeper understanding of reading through phonemic awareness.