English: Chaos or Order?

For many years people have been telling us that English is a chaotic language because it has no regular structure or rules to govern the writing of words.

The historic roots of the English language demonstrate that, far from being chaotic, English is a highly systematic and consistent language. Well- defined rules govern the use of phonograms (the written representations of sound), spelling patterns, and grammatical structure.

In recent decades literacy skills have been predominantly taught using the whole word method. The rich heritage of phonics that unlocks so many of the keys to our language was set aside — resulting in a deterioration in literacy skills and a limited understanding of the tools we subconsciously use to read and write.