Phonics: defined in OED
Oxford English Dictionary: Phonics, n. pl.
The correlations between sound and symbol in an alphabetic writing system; used spec. with reference to a method of teaching reading by associating letters or groups of letters with particular sounds (cf. phonic method s.v. PHONIC 2). a. (n.)
1908 E. B. HUEY Psychol. & Pedagogy of Reading III. xiv. 280 Too often the line between phonics and reading is not drawn. 1960 J. R. NEWTON Reading in your School iv. 63 Phonics is that part of phonetics which is used in reading and spelling. 1966 K. DE HIRSCH et al. Predicting Reading Failure viii. 82 Five auditorily gifted children who read well had been intensively trained in phonics. 1966 New Statesman 30 Dec. 962/3 Look and Say, Phonics and The Sentence Method are all at the moment acting as smokescreens which obscure a simple fact known to most mothers but few reading research experts. The most important thing in a reading beginner’s life is a willing listener. 1973 Daily Tel. 10 Apr. 18, I believe that most teachers of remedial reading would agree that more attention to phonics when teaching children to read would be an excellent thing. 1976 July 8/2 Sci. Amer.They replaced the teaching of reading by phonics with the ‘look-see’ method.
As a teaching method, however, I can at least track it to Owen Price (1665) "The Vocal Organ", which the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America says it’s worth $40 today:
Price, Owen THE VOCAL ORGAN, Or, A New Art of Teaching the English Orthographie, 1665
Menston, England Scolar Press 1970 Facsimile edition English Linguistics 1500-1800, No. 227. Cloth, 8vo., (xx), 72 pp. Early and important work on phonetic theory. The diagrams of the teeth and tongue positions is the first of its kind to appear in any Engish book. Ex-library, discreet markings
According to the scanned copy on EEBO, the price was $10 back in Sept 2, 1878. Not too bad for 120 years.
