California Leads Revival Of Teaching by Phonics (Published 1996)
- ️Wed May 22 1996
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- May 22, 1996
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In the 1980's, California was among the first states to adopt a philosophy that children could learn to read, faster and better if encouraged to experiment -- to guess at words and invent their own spellings and grammar.
Called "whole language," it was an approach widely adopted around the country. But now, stung by poor test scores in reading and writing, the State Board of Education in California is among the first in the country to reconsider whole language and give more emphasis to the method that taught baby boomers: phonics.
In phonics, widely adopted in the 50's, children learn to read primarily by stringing letter and vowel sounds together. The premise is that a child who can read "c-a-t" can easily figure out "p-a-t," "b-a-t" or even "ch-a-t."
"The research is very clear," said Jack Pikulski, president-elect of the International Reading Association and a professor of education at University of Delaware. "Phonics is a necessary part of a balanced reading program. There is plenty of evidence that phonics can get children off to a good start."
Earlier this month, the California board approved a new reading outline for the state's school districts that stresses phonics in early grades. Ohio, New York and Wisconsin are also considering measures to re-emphasize phonics.
Gov. Pete Wilson of California, who usually espouses local control of curriculum in schools, set up a state incentive for schools that use the phonics approach, offering them an extra $127 million for new text books and teacher training.