Last month, The New York Times Education Reporter Diana Jean Schemo reported that schools were being pushed into using phonics-based reading materials or else risk losing federal funds under the Reading First program. Schemo profiled the Madison, Wisconsin school district, which chose to stick with their balanced program and withdraw from funding. Are phonics-based reading programs more effective than whole language-based programs? Phonics is based on learning letter sounds and putting them together; Whole language helps the child use contextual cues like pictures and story flow, to read. Dr. Richard Allington, former president of the International Reading Association said the research shows no strong support for a single style, and that relying on phonics may hurt comprehension skill as readers advance.
The Blue Lake take on it:
You don't have to choose! Look at the Six Early Literacy Skills, there are valuable tools in both phonics and whole language approaches. We say go for the best of both worlds. The Tessy & Tab Reading Club magazine stories have very detailed visual clues to help pre-readers with a whole language approach, and our online activities include a phonics-based alphabet game.
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