--- ---  # Using Phonics Makes Learning to Read Easier, Says Study by [David Stout](https://time.com/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout Jan 29, 2015 5:03 AM UTC  Mother and daughter reading book in bookstore Mother and daughter reading book in bookstoreGetty Images by [David Stout](https://time.com/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout Jan 29, 2015 5:03 AM UTC [New research](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0093934X14001862) suggests that relying on phonics, a method of learning where an individual sounds out words, helps students to learn reading faster when compared with the whole-language technique, which hones in on visually memorizing word patterns. In a study published in _Brain & Language_, scientists at the University of Buffalo utilized neuroimaging technology to suggest that phonological information is vital to helping an individual identify words while they’re being read. Moreover, individuals perform better at reading when they are more sensitive to auditory information. “Better readers seem to have more of these neurons taking advantage of auditory information to help the visual word recognition system along,” says Chris McNorgan, an assistant professor of psychology who managed the study. \[[_Science Daily_](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150128141425.htm)\] Education: Phonics Makes Reading Easier According to New Study ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3687089/phonics-word-recognition-science-research-study/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3687089/phonics-word-recognition-science-research-study/"},"headline":"Using Phonics Makes Learning to Read Easier, Says Study","datePublished":"2015-01-29T05:03:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:58:03.290Z","description":"People are able to read better when their visual processing is more sensitive to auditory information","url":"https://time.com/3687089/phonics-word-recognition-science-research-study/","keywords":["human behavior","Parenting","study","Research","reading"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca48b0c9dc08014e/69877c795f570f7507b14f99/reading1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"David Stout","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/david-stout/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca48b0c9dc08014e/69877c795f570f7507b14f99/reading1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"485208231","caption":"485208231","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/human-behavior/","name":"human behavior"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3687089/phonics-word-recognition-science-research-study/","name":"Using Phonics Makes Learning to Read Easier, Says Study"}}]}] ```