This chapter is part of a book that recounts the year's work at the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) at Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi. Rather than an "elitist" laboratory school for the children of university faculty, the dual-language ECDC is a collaboration between the Corpus Christi Independent School District and the university, with an enrollment representative of Corpus Christi's population. The chapter describes and evaluates an ECDC pedagogy renewal project on phonics instruction, involving interactions between graduate students, university faculty, and children entering first and second grades. The project entailed three components: (1) a subject area focus, which provided an in-depth examination of phonics; (2) a professional growth component, which promoted the habit of teacher reflection on literacy teaching and learning, and awareness of the many perspectives directly and indirectly affecting public school teaching and learning; and (3) an organizational component, which developed positive learning environments without the normal constraints of public school rules and regulations, and created collaborative learning experiences for students of all levels. Program evaluation showed positive results for adult learners, although effects on children's phonics learning were inconclusive. (Contains 20 references.) (EV)