[goodnesswins]

sUUprise...sUUprise.....

[egarvue]

The debate suffers from oversimplification -- many educators say any reasonable approach combines elements of both strategies...

My wife is a teacher, and has her masters' in Early Childhood Studies. She has this approach, where you blend phonics with "whole language". Personally, as a former high school English teacher, "whole language" is a pile of BS; my wife and I go 'round and 'round about the issue. Make no mistake, the "whole language" approach is heavily promoted in the colleges...its only after a teacher has been in the field a few years that they drop the goofy feel-good whole language methods and put some hardcore phonics back into their curriculum, (I've seen it over and over again.)

[mitchbert]

In addition to the suggestions at the end of the article, one other comes to mind that some friends tried when their daughter was very young. Long before she had any comprehension of language they made a point of buying her toys like plastic alphabet letters and blocks with words and letters on them. Kids will play with most anything when their babies and as she grew the idea that letters and words were fun was cemented in her mind. When they actually moved onto teching her words and basic reading she was already familiar with the "letters" and she took to reading very quickly and enthusiastically. She's about 9 right now and smart as a whip.

[Mears]

I taught first grade in the mid fifties and phonics was the method,and it worked.I'm now working with a grandaughter using the phonics.

Any of you boomers remember Dick and Jane,Spot and Puff,and Baby Sally?

[RippleFire]

bump

[LiteKeeper]

SITREP

[mtbopfuyn]

Now, if only more schools would realize this too.