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Whole language vs. phonics: Which speaks more clearly to young readers? By
Liz Hobson The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. Succeed to Read statistics show that 38 percent of all fourth-graders in the United States cannot read Dr. Seuss' simple poem from The Cat in the Hat. More than 7 million elementary-aged children are performing below grade level. The national debate continues of whether to use whole language or phonics and phonemic awareness in teaching children to read. "You have to use a little bit of everything when teaching kids to read," said Kathy Larkin, a kindergarten teacher at Nibley Elementary. "You can't just do whole language where you just read them a story and they pick it up. There has to be some sort of phonics in your program. "Phonics is repetitious, kids have to learn that there is a system to learning the sounds of letters and putting words together. Phonemic awareness is making kids aware of those different sounds and words." The National Reading Panel reports that instruction in phonemic awareness teaches children to concentrate on and manipulate phonemes, the smallest units composing the spoken language, such as "go" or "she" when learning spoken syllables and words. The Panel concluded that using phonemic awareness instruction helped kids show improvement in reading and spelling. Carrie Curtis, second-grade teacher at Adam's Elementary in Logan, said, "The whole-language approach is important, but they also need phonetics. Teach them the short sounds first and all the sounds of the letters. Teach them all the basic sounds first and then you can start to chunk words together. You don't want to overwhelm them, so start with the little words like 'cat' or 'sam'." While it is undetermined what ways are most effective in teaching children to read, there is no set way for every child to learn to read. A variety of programs exist, ranging from Hooked on Phonics to the Reach Out and Read program sponsored by Boston City Hospitals. Reach Out and Read is a program where doctors and nurses actually prescribe that parents read to their kids. When leaving the hospital, each child receives a new book. According to the U.S. Dept. of Education's website at http://ed.gov, In 1997 First Lady Laura Bush offered her support in initiating the program in Texas. Now, over 60 Reach Out and Read clinics exist across the state. "Our challenge is to reach these children and lift them to success," Bush said. "My experiences as a mother and an elementary school teacher have taught me that children who are ready to read are ready to learn." Reach Out and Read is just one example of the opportunities offered to kids to help them get excited about reading. On Jan. 8, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act. According to http://NoChildLeftBehind.gov, its goal is "to create the best educational opportunities for our nation's children and to ensure that they have every opportunity to succeed." The No Child Left Behind Act provides money for states and school districts where students are taught five key components in early reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Educators have learned there is more to reading than just phonetic interpretation. Curtis said that reading is interpreting information. The thing that educators are pushing is for kids to use books as information sources. "Children are curious about books, newspapers, and magazines," she said. "Words are in our world and it is important for them to learn them." This is where parent involvement comes into play. Larkin said, "The biggest thing I have found with reading is if the kids have parents at home who read to them or show interest in their schooling, they will want to learn. The kids will gain a desire to learn, when they have that desire they will learn to read." Parents who read will have children who read. Curtis said one cannot underestimate the value of having books in the home. Moreover, when the parents take time to read those books with their kids it provides a foundation for kids to succeed. "Statistics show that if a mother reads to the children they will be in the top 10 percent of their class," she said. "If the father reads to the children they will be in the top 2 percent of the class. "If a father will read 500 different books to a child before they enter kindergarten, they are more likely to succeed at reading quickly." While the majority of the responsibility for teaching kids to read falls mainly on the parents and teachers they do not carry the entire burden. Bill Lindauer, principal at Nibley Elementary, said though he may not be in the classrooms teaching the kids to read he hopes he can set an example that will inspire the kids. "I need to make sure the kids see me reading and see me as a role model," he said. "I need to be someone who carries a book, who will share a poem from time to time, someone who will come in and read aloud and get kids interested in a story. These are all important roles a principal plays." Lindauer might be on target with his goals for setting an example especially when it comes to reading aloud to the students. According to smarterkids.com, adults have a large impact on a child's desire to read. "The single most important thing adults can do to help toddlers and preschoolers gain the knowledge they need to succeed in reading is to read aloud to them - beginning early." The National Education Association offers these tips for reading to and with young children.
While tips such as these are sure to help kids become literate, Curtis said the single most effective thing for kids to learn to read is practice. "The only way for a child to learn to read is to read," she said.
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