What is characterized by taking words and breaking them into parts?

The correct choice highlights the process of breaking down words into their components or parts, which is a crucial aspect of understanding how language works. Analytic instruction emphasizes the analysis of words by looking at their individual parts, such as syllables, phonemes, morphemes, and more. This approach fosters a deeper understanding of how words are constructed and can aid in reading and spelling proficiency.

In contrast, the other options do not focus primarily on the decomposition of words. Synthetic instruction generally involves combining smaller units of language, like sounds or syllables, to form whole words, which is the opposite of what is described in the question. Phonetic analysis refers specifically to the study of the sounds of speech, often focusing on the pronunciation aspect rather than breaking words into their morphological parts. Strategic reading encompasses broader reading comprehension techniques and methods to improve overall reading effectiveness, without directly focusing on the breakdown of words themselves.

Thus, the choice that accurately reflects the characteristic of breaking words into parts is analytic instruction, as it directly addresses the process of analyzing the structure of words for better understanding.