We need to make a New Year’s resolution to start using an effective, research-proven approach to teach children to read. Whole language (all forms including “blended” methods), “look say”, guessing from context clues, memorizing sight word lists, and even the Reading Recovery approach have all been proven to not work. We ask students to try their best and do their best in school. It is time for educators, school administrators, curriculum publishers, and even university education departments to change and start using a system that works. The Nation’s Report Card (NPC) (2015) stated that only 36% of 4th graders and only 34% of 8th graders across the nation can read proficiently at grade level. That means that over 60% of 4th graders cannot read at grade level. They are failing. Yet, we have the methods and ability to teach these failing students to read. Yes, students who are presently failing can be taught to read. We have research proof.
An important study by Yoncheva, Wise, and McCandliss, published in the journal Brain and Language (2015), shows why phonemic awareness works with at-risk students, students who are failing. The National Reading Panel, which studied over 100,000 reading programs and published a nationwide report in 2000 that states that whole language and other methods following whole language principles simply do not work. Neuroimaging research clearly shows that at-risk students, who have previously failed in reading, can be taught to read (Keller & Just, 2009). The neuroimaging study by Keller and Just (2009) actually showed at-risk children improving in reading when phonemic and phonological awareness techniques were used. It’s not the students. It’s not even the teachers. The problem and the reason that we are failing to teach children to read is the teaching method that we are using to teach reading (Foorman et al., 2003; Lyon, 2002; Rayner et al., 2001). It’s time for a change. We need to help children, not hurt them. As you make New Year resolutions, think of the children.
An important study by Yoncheva, Wise, and McCandliss, published in the journal Brain and Language (2015), shows why phonemic awareness works with at-risk students, students who are failing. The National Reading Panel, which studied over 100,000 reading programs and published a nationwide report in 2000 that states that whole language and other methods following whole language principles simply do not work. Neuroimaging research clearly shows that at-risk students, who have previously failed in reading, can be taught to read (Keller & Just, 2009). The neuroimaging study by Keller and Just (2009) actually showed at-risk children improving in reading when phonemic and phonological awareness techniques were used. It’s not the students. It’s not even the teachers. The problem and the reason that we are failing to teach children to read is the teaching method that we are using to teach reading (Foorman et al., 2003; Lyon, 2002; Rayner et al., 2001). It’s time for a change. We need to help children, not hurt them. As you make New Year resolutions, think of the children.
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