Students individually need to experience success in reading, be it a systematic approach in phonics or in whole language procedures. Quality action research, conducted within the local school/school system, needs to be conducted to notice which of these two procedures of reading instruction best meets student needs. Each student needs to achieve…

This list of year-by-year statements has been drawn together from England's National Literacy Strategy Framework for Teaching, with a particular focus on reading. The statements also take into account the stages set out in "Progression in Phonics" and the criteria for assessing reading in National Curriculum assessment at Years 2 and 6.…

Presently, reading is much discussed by senators, representatives, and state legislatures--the debate is on the following issues in reading instruction: (1) having all students in public school achieve at grade level as a reading minimum; (2) accountability of teachers for student achievement; (3) teachers having high achievement expectations from…

This paper begins with an overview of necessary word recognition skills and the debate between use of phonics versus whole language. The paper gives a useful 5-step strategy for decoding unfamiliar words: (1) use context clues; (2) try the sound of the initial consonant, vowel, or blend in addition to context clues; (3) check for structural clues;…

This paper discusses and recommends diagnosis and remediation procedures in teaching pupils in the area of reading. The first section of the paper addresses diagnostic emphasis in reading and discusses individualized reading, experience charts, and 5 recommendations for teaching phonics. The next section discusses basal readers, argues that good…

Explains why the Clinton administration's answer to illiteracy, embodied in the "America Reads Challenge," in the United States is not a solution and only diverts accountability from the failure of the public-education system. It argues that phonics is the best way to teach reading and provides the principles of reading instruction. (GR)

States research shows that decoding skills are associated with phonological awareness, the ability to segment and manipulate sounds in words. Suggests this ability is associated with reading failure in many nonreaders, reading difficulties in poor readers, and individual differences among average readers. Considers that although phonological…

Examines IBM's Writing to Read (WTR) program for kindergartners and first graders from four perspectives: its language learning paradigm, the computer program design, the research conducted on its effectiveness, and implementation considerations. Since costs outweigh learning benefits, educators should reconsider purchasing this program. Includes…

Describes a modified alphabet for beginning readers based on psychologies of reading and visual perception. The Graphophonic Alphabet (GP) is explained, motivations for modifying the alphabet are discussed, and possibilities for teaching phonics and second languages as well as reading with the GP and microcomputers are considered. (16 references)…

Outlines a strategy for resolving disputes between the whole language and phonics camps in reading instruction. Reviews research on the role of context in word recognition, the process of reading acquisition, and analytic versus holistic approaches to reading acquisition. Suggests that the way is clear for whole language advocates to reconstitute…

This paper offers a rationale for integrating phonics with reading instruction for students with reading disabilities. It then suggests that direct teaching of sounds be provided by constructing "soundsheets" with rows of sound/letter combinations taken directly from the text the child will read after practicing the sounds. (JDD)

Describes the recent revival of interest in the use of nursery rhymes as tools for the development of early phonic knowledge in children. Traces the historical evolution of nursery rhymes and their origins in the world of carnival. Questions whether such material is proper for teaching surface features of reading. (HB)

Presents reactions of provinces to position paper issued by the Canadian Psychological Association advocating a balanced approach to teaching reading. Reiterates position that whole-language programs be supplemented with phonological awareness exercises beyond those using initial word sounds to recognize words. Describes a booklet produced with…

Today varied notions of good teaching are mired in fruitless, "cheesy" debates over traditional versus progressive philosophies. On the "Velveeta" side is John Locke, who viewed children as a "tabula rasa" (empty slate). On the brie side is Rousseau, who emphasized freeing the child as "noble savage." The…

Identifies analogous patterns in the histories of education and literacy education, noting wide swings of fadism over time, tracing phonics instruction throughout history, inspecting a model of educational innovation as related to literacy, and suggesting implications of this model for the future (noting lessons to be distilled from awareness of…