[Marcia Karp]

Originally posted by Janet Kenny:
Is it necessary to have a grasp of phonics in order to be able to read? Broadly speaking, the astonishing and contentious answer is no, otherwise we wouldn't be able to read silently

I have to disagree with the logic of this -- that silent reading precludes sounds -- and since Robert Graves says it better than I can, I'll let him to the talking. From The Common Asphodel

THE OUTWARD AND INWARD EARS

Though the poet ought to write as if his work were intended to be read aloud, in practice the reading aloud of a poem distracts attention from its subtler properties by emphasizing the more obvious ones. The outward ear is easily deceived. A beautiful voice can make magic even with bad or fraudulent poetry which the eye, as the most sophisticated organ of sense, would reject at once; for the eye is in close communication with the undeceivable inward ear.

Best,
Marcia