Why Am I So Negative About the Phonics Movement?

11/13/2018

Someone asked me a few days ago why I feel so negative toward the movement to switch reading instruction from whole language to phonics. My reason: switching from whole language to phonics would mean we were switching from one failing teaching method (whole language) to another failing teaching method (phonics). I have explained throughout several blog posts why whole language is a failed teaching method [see 11-2-18, 9-28-18, 8-26-18, 8-18-18, 8-4-18]. I have shared the research. I have shared the research of experts who clearly state that whole language is a failure always has been and always will be.

I have also presented several experts and abundant research to show why phonics will not work. Phonics is also a failed teaching method. Research proves it. My question is: Why should we switch from one failed teaching method to another failed teaching method when they have both proven to be wrong? As Dr. Sally Shaywitz (see Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, 2003) explains, “Children do not learn to read by memorizing a word list. Most children, especially those who struggle in reading, do not learn to read by memorizing phonics rules.” (p. 78) We have the knowledge, the research, and the ability to teach every single child across the nation to read, so why do we cling to failed teaching methods and force students to continue to fail in reading?

2 Comments

Sara Peden link

11/13/2018 02:51:16 pm

Teaching reading decoding using phonics is by no means the same thing as "teaching phonics rules" alone. I believe that you will need to define what you mean when you say "phonics" when you call it a "failed teaching method". Research is very clear that phonics is necessary, but not sufficient to teach reading. No credible expert claims otherwise. Who do you think is advocating "phonics" as all there is to reading?

Elaine Clanton Harpine link

11/13/2018 08:00:37 pm

"Phonics describes a teaching method that focuses on letters as sounds.Being able to watch children’s brains as they learn to read offers a whole new wealth of knowledge to the reading wars. Phonics is better than whole language. Unfortunately, even at best, phonics education will still leave most struggling, at-risk students in the failing category (Kilpatrick, 2016). Why? Phonics does not teach letter-sound relationships in the same way that the brain processes letter-sound associations. This is what the neuroimaging research is showing us. Phonics focuses on the letter; the brain focuses on sounds. Systematic phonics instruction entails the direct teaching of letter-sound relationships and uses a specific sequence or learning pattern. To be effective, systematic phonics must teach decoding and encoding instead of memorization or a list of rules.For a systematic approach to be successful, though, it must teach letter shapes and sounds. For a systematic method to be effective in correcting reading failure, it must teach how to write alphabet letters, words, sentences, and stories. It is especially important that a systematic phonics approach teach lowercase alphabet letters, since we primarily use lowercase letters in reading. To be effective, the systematic phonics teaching approach must also teach decoding and encoding word skills. It is not enough to trade whole language for phonics. Students need more. In his book Equipped for Reading Success, David A. Kilpatrick (2016) gives one of the clearest and easiest to understand explanations for how the brain processes and learns letter-sounds. Kilpatrick explains that the brain does not recognize and store words through visual memory—seeing the same word over and over or “look say.” The brain recognizes and stores new words in memory by sound. The brain creates an “oral filing system.” The brain does not file words by letter. Sound sequences are the way that the brain stores and matches sounds. The brain strings letter sounds together, especially vowel sounds. The brain does not store “whole words” (Kilpatrick, 2016). Phonics, even systematic phonics focuses on the letter. That's what phonics does. The National Reading Panel listed 6 different methods for teaching phonics and every single one of those methods focuses on the letter. That's why phonics is a failing system. As Dr. Sally Shaywitz (see Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, 2003) explains, “Children do not learn to read by memorizing a word list. Most children, especially those who struggle in reading, do not learn to read by memorizing phonics rules.” (p. 78) Struggling, at-risk students who are failing need more. We have a reading failure rate of 63-64% (depending on the age group) [see my blog post of 1-2-2018]." Each of the references listed can be easily attained by going to my reading blog. It is always a pleasure communicating with you. I hope this helps.

Why Am I So Negative About the Phonics Movement?

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Elaine Clanton Harpine, Ph.D.

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