Which instructional approach emphasizes the relationship between letters and sounds?

Phonics instruction is focused on teaching the relationship between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes). This approach enables students to decode words by understanding how individual letters and combinations of letters correspond to specific sounds. By knowing these relationships, learners can apply phonics skills to read unfamiliar words and improve their overall reading fluency.

Whole language instruction, on the other hand, emphasizes the meaning and context of text, encouraging a more holistic approach to literacy without the structured focus on sound-letter correspondence that phonics offers. Literature-based instruction centers around using diverse texts to promote reading and comprehension but does not specifically prioritize the decoding skills that phonics instruction does. Contextual learning emphasizes understanding through experience and context rather than the explicit teaching of letter-sound relationships.

Thus, phonics instruction stands out as the correct answer as it is specifically designed to teach students how to connect letters with their corresponding sounds, a fundamental skill for effective reading.