In regard to phonics instruction,

 
it is not enough to learn letter-sound associations; students must have practice in applying these to words -- and opportunities to practice this strategy under teacher guidance while reading real texts.
 
the best way to teach phonic generalizations is to have students memorize phonics rules.
 
while there is some strong opinion supporting its use, there is little research evidence indicating its utility.
 
it is important to know that vowels make up the framework of words, and thus should be given first priority in instruction.