Argues that problems identified with using phonics do not attack the skill, per se, which phonics provides--being able to independently unlock words. (HOD)

Notes that federal officials stress that educators should not overlook key elements in reading instruction (phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension), even with the No Child Left Behind Act's emphasis on phonics. Discusses how families play a critical role in reading instruction. (SG)

Discusses the hyperbole surrounding statements and testimonials about the effectiveness of phonics instruction. Suggests that reading is more than sounding out words one at a time and that most children figure it out for themselves with little or no help. Suggests that reading is also more than a psycholinguistic guessing game. (RS)

An approach to teaching phonics to children with special learning needs or reading difficulties is presented. The approach utilizes a sounding chart containing "clue boxes" to help children identify how letter patterns sound, and the method sequences generalizations according to difficulty. This article discusses testing, placement, and…

Describes how one Maryland school district overhauled its total approach to reading instruction and rescued its struggling students. The problem was more one of poor system design than poor instruction. The research-based intervention was a hybrid of reading recovery and phonics. From 1999-00, the rate of fifth graders reading below grade level…

Authors take issue with an article by Elaine Garan, "Beyond the Smoke and Mirrors: A Critique of the National Reading Panel Report on Phonics," that appeared in the March 2001 issue of "Phi Delta Kappan" wherein she criticized the report's findings on the effectiveness of phonics instruction in helping children to read. (PKP)

Author makes a point-by-point rebuttal to Ehri and Stahl's criticism of her critical analysis of the National Reading Panel report on the effectiveness of phonics instruction in helping children to read. (PKP)

Presents a current analysis of vowel regularity done with slightly different parameters. Compares the findings of this analysis to Clymer's classic 1963 study and other studies in order to demonstrate some of the issues that affect interpretation of this kind of analysis. Gives some specific suggestions about the teaching of vowels. (SG)

The National Reading Panel's report on reading instruction placed too much emphasis on systematic phonics. The effectiveness of systematic phonics is presented with a comprehensive framework so that there is a clear implication for institutional practice.

Examined the findings of the "Teaching Children To Read" study of the National Reading Panel and the procedures of the study. Meta-analytic techniques found that the methodology and procedures were not adequate. Findings suggest that phonics, as an aspect of the complex reading process, should not be over-emphasized. (SLD)

Teaching students how to read is one of the most important tasks in elementary schools. The majority of schools use published basal programs to teach students to read. Several published reviews have indicated that past editions of basal readers did not align with appropriate instruction for beginning level readers. In this study I reviewed five of…

Rather than treating phonics as an end in itself, this brief text shows how phonics fits into the overall process of a child's learning to read. It helps students understand how phonics can be integrated successfully into an effective classroom reading program. While it includes a wealth of suggestions for practical classroom applications, the…

This study investigated whether 2 different progress monitoring assessments differentially predicted growth in reading skills associated with systematic phonics instruction. Oral reading fluency (ORE) was compared with an intervention aligned word list (IAWL) as predictors of growth in untimed and timed decoding and word identification and text…

Whole language versus phonics: the debate rages on over the proper techniques for teaching reading. Whole language is a child-centered, literature based approach to language teaching that will immerse the students in real communication. The reasons placed behind whole language teaching are based on linguistics, pedagogy, and psychology. In the…

This booklet presents a simplified and improved method of writing or spelling English, which simply uses the standard 26-letter alphabet to spell words the way they are pronounced. The booklet criticizes the conventional English spelling system as unnecessarily difficult, inconsistent, and illogical and suggests that easy-to-learn "Basic…