What method teaches reading by linking sounds to letters in an alphabetic system?

Phonics is a method that focuses on the relationship between sounds and their corresponding letters or groups of letters in an alphabetic system. By teaching students to connect specific sounds to their written representations, phonics enables them to decode words, which is essential for reading fluency. This approach is particularly effective for early readers as it builds a foundational understanding of how language works, allowing them to sound out unfamiliar words.

In contrast, lexical analysis involves breaking down words to understand their meanings and structures, rather than focusing primarily on the sounds associated with letters. The whole language approach emphasizes the understanding of language in context through reading entire texts as opposed to isolated phonics skills. Contextual reading focuses on understanding words based on the surrounding text, often employing strategies beyond phonetic decoding. Each of these methods has its merits, but phonics specifically targets the sound-letter relationship, making it the correct answer for this question.