The Report of the National Reading Panel (2000) explains that phonemic awareness instruction and phonics instruction are highly beneficial for students learning to read. In the updated second edition, Edmund V. Starrett provides educators with guidance on teaching phonics as part of a well-planned reading program. This reference book presents the content and ideas of phonics instruction in an accessible format that appeals to both new and experienced teachers. Coverage of each topic begins with a broad general overview and then offers specific, practical tips and strategies. Thorough and in-depth, this beneficial guide: (1) Discusses specific principles of phonics in teacher-friendly terms; (2) Presents and explains the most useful phonics rules and generalizations; (3) Provides practical guidance for sequencing phonics instruction; (4) Includes informal assessments and checklists; and (5) Offers a generous collection of instructional strategies and activities. "Teaching Phonics for Balanced Reading" offers all teachers a comprehensive guide for planning phonics instruction that helps students become better readers and better learners! Following a preface, this book presents eight chapters: (1) The Role of Phonics in Reading Instruction; (2) Understanding Phonics; (3) Teaching the Alphabet; (4) Teaching Consonants; (5) Teaching Vowel Sounds; (6) Teaching Syllabication and Word Structure Skills; (7) Accountability and Reading Standards; and (8) Informal Reading Tests. Appended are: (1) Early Reading First and Reading First Programs; (2) A Synopsis of Phonic Instructional Skills; (3) Reading Skills Checklist; and (4) Checkpoints for Parents of Preschoolers. Also included are: a glossary of phonological terms; a list of references; and an index. [For the first edition of "Teaching Phonics for Balanced Reading," see ED439397.]