PHONICS INSTRUCTION IS A BASIC SUBJECT IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM. THE HARVARD-BOSTON SUMMER PROGRAM BEGINS WITH A DIAGNOSTIC TEST TO DETERMINE JUST WHAT SKILLS SHOULD BE TAUGHT. THE PROGRAM IS BASED ON THE CONCEPT THAT PHONICS IS THE SPOKEN WORD, THUS IT IS SUGGESTED THAT A LITERARY APPROACH BE USED IN WHICH THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WRITING AND ORAL ACTIVITIES. THE BASIC COMMON SOUND FOR SINGLE LETTERS SHOULD BE TAUGHT FIRST, THEN SKILLS SHOULD BE TAUGHT AS NEEDED. CONSONANT LETTERS CAN BE TAUGHT FOR AUDITORY CONTRAST. VOWEL SOUNDS CAN BE TAUGHT IN PAIRS OR GROUPS FOR CONTRAST. BLENDS, COMBINATIONS, PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES, SYLLABIFICATION, AND BASIC SPELLING RULES CAN BE TAUGHT AS THEY BECOME EVIDENT IN FOLKLORE TALES, AND AS THEY ARE EXPRESSED IN SUCH ACTIVITIES AS RECITATION, SINGING, DRAWING, DISCUSSION, AND THE CHILD'S CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF BASIC SOUND-LETTER RELATIONSHIPS.