This is a large part of the reason I am now homeschooling. My very bright daughter began learning how to read this way and it was a disaster, I had to re-teach her from the very beginning, repairing some very bad habits.
The “Whole Word” reading method keeps coming back because there is money to be made promoting it. Money for the textbook publishers, conferences, experts, remedial education instructors. The fact that it produces millions of functionally illiterate adults is acceptable collateral damage.
Don't you think that phonics also teaches logical thought processes?
Ping for tomorrow
The thing is, after you have experience reading, then you do naturally use a “sight method” for reading. But you have to use the basic building blocks first—learn the approximate sound for each letter, and how the letters fit together to give a clue about the pronunciation of the word.
Written English is only semi-phonetic, so it is not completely possible to teach a pure phonetic method. (For example: phonetic is pronounced “fo ne’ dik.”)
My wife and I had all four of ours reading by age 4. My youngest daughter’s 2 boys are 3 and 4. The 4 yo is reading and has a vocabulary better than many adults. He is not terribly clear yet on how to use the words he knows how to say and read but he is narrowing it all down steadily. The barely 3 yo is taking after his brother and appears to be learning it faster but it is that he has big bro as his role model and example. Big bro was a relatively late talker but once he started he was using complete sentences, likely because his parents always speak to the children in complete sentences.
I've noticed that on some rather graphical sites. Not sure if they were "C's" or "D's", but they jiggled.
If it weren't for phonics, how could I pronounce a name like Qua'Lifriaqui'Sha'Niquia?
Sight read, shee-it. Although, I must admit that I read some Thai, and there are generally no spaces between the words. And the consonants and vowels wrap around each other or are up above. It's the worst of both worlds, both pattern recognition and phonetics, sorta. Apparently works for them.
the NEA and the FEDS think that if non-whites know the ABC’s and can count to 100,they don’t need to know anymore.
The written English language was constructed phonetically, using our 26 letter alphabet. There is absolutely no arguing that fact.
That being so, it is practically criminal to teach it in any other way - especially given the fact that it has been done easily and very successfully since the middle ages.
If you have a word message, type it out and post it as text so it can be read, or at least have a link to a text version.
Anyone raised on “Dick and Jane” books? Gorgeous illustrations. Lovely, happy stories for 1st graders. But whole word reading was the method used, and parents, like my mom, taught phonics at home. This method caused dyslexia in me, not severely, but enough to misread words and numbers.
Bruce,
Thank you for posting this! Just watched after my previous comment. What a great video! I will share it with others. Keep bumping this up every so often so those who missed it will get another chance to watch it.
The Westerner
I could write my name before 1st grade but couldn’t read nor did I really understand th alphabet. Thankfully my 1st grade teacher taught phonics using the McMillan Dot & Jim series. I can still remember the moment that letters and words suddenly made sense to me. The class worked in group and the teacher called us up individually so she could help those struggling with what she was teaching. She went over those words with me coaxing me to figure it out how letters could become words when suddenly Tag became not just letters but the name of the dog belonging to the children in the book and suddenly I could read and have never stopped. Thanks Miss Katzman where ever you are.
By the time I see these students in middle school, I have to figure where they fell off the wagon. A couple quick assessments and I can get them on track....but they often remain behind. I use REWARDS, a multisyllabic approach to phonics for secondary students. Some are not wired for sounds and symbols...while others have had some horrible prior instruction. A few students require a whole different program that is very intensive.
By the time I see these students in middle school, I have to figure where they fell off the wagon. A couple quick assessments and I can get them on track....but they often remain behind. I use REWARDS, a multisyllabic approach to phonics for secondary students. Some are not wired for sounds and symbols...while others have had some horrible prior instruction. A few students require a whole different program that is very intensive.
Phonics is s tool as is memorization, recitation and rote learning. Without tools how does one survive and thrive?