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The Whole Language vs. Phonics Debate
Since we’ve mentioned this debate in our article entitled, “The Importance Of Literacy,” we thought we would expand upon that argument here for those who don’t appreciate the controversy.
Phonics and Whole Language Defined
Phonics teach children to read by first associating letters with specific sounds, then second, by blending those sounds together into words. When children ask what a written word represents, and we reply with, “sound it out,” we’re telling them to use phonics.
Whole language teaches children to read through hearing stories and then associating words with pictures, events, or situations within those stories. Many of us who attended elementary school way back in the late 50s and early 60s learned to read this way and it worked quite well for the most part. (Remember “Spot” and “See Spot run?” That’s whole language at work!)
Shortcomings of Each
The problems with both approaches differ although they each have a significant success rate. The problem with phonics is that it focuses on procedure rather than word meaning. The problem with whole language is that it’s memory-dependant.
Studies that have followed both approaches conclude that combining each will produce a sufficient reader as long as phonics are introduced at an early age, and we agree with this conclusion. Whole language emphasizes words as they’re used in context, and while it’s a practice that ensures comprehension, it doesn’t give children the skills they need to decipher new words.
Whole Language is Around Us
In our article entitled, “Creating an Appropriate Phonics Environment,” we reiterate the value that whole language offers since a phonics program all by itself can not teach comprehension. From our point of view, life in itself demonstrates the value of whole language since we use it to communicate every day.
Simple activities such as reading the latest celebrity gossip, interpreting a TV guide, following a recipe, or filling out an application provide ample real world opportunities to apply the skills of phonics. That’s why we chose to focus on phonics in Randy’s Reading Program. Phonics is the horse put before the cart and it will pull the student along the way of deciphering his literal life.
Phonics Isn’t Forever
Note that phonics isn’t a life long lesson. It is instead a self-contained set of lessons that once mastered, serve as a platform for further development. Many educators in fact advocate that learning phonics is no longer needed after the 3rd grade, and that the whole language approach is sufficient to carry a student onto high school graduation.
Randy’s Reading Program provides those 3 years in a single electronic environment guaranteed to increase a student’s chances of word decipherment well ahead of that time. So if you’re not sure about where you stand within this argument, rest assured that our program gives you the tools to learn the process quickly and efficiently, without having to depend upon a seemingly endless commitment.
