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**English has 26 letters and 44 sounds. Simple.**

Bullshit.

Those 44 sounds are represented by (I don't have the time to look it up right
now) way more than 44 letters or letter groups. PLUS many of those letter
groups represent more than one sound. Several of the vowel groups represent
numerous sounds, WHICH IS WHAT MAKES PHONICS HORRIBLY HORRIBLY DIFFICULT FOR
KIDS WHO ARE NOT MEMORIZING WHOLE WORDS BUT TRYING TO SOUND THEM OUT EACH AND
EVERY TIME THEY SEE THEM.

Every damn time someone posts about how easy phonics is to teach they do the
little routine with short vowel sounds and single consanants in a CVC
pattern. Yup, that's easy. It's also NOT more than 50% of what kids are
trying to read.

Unfortunately I don't have time to get into a longer discussion on this
issue, as I'm leaving for NY in the morning and I'll be gone for 2 weeks.
I'll probably run past it when I come back, though.

Ned, did you write this article yourself?

Deborah