Re: phonics politics

Mark Warschauer (markw who-is-at hawaii.edu)
Tue, 7 May 1996 08:55:34 -1000

Actually, some scholars, most notably Lisa Delpit, have attempted to
criticize whole language approaches from the "left"--basically portraying
whole language as stemming from the perspectives and needs of the white
middle-class community and being imposed on minority communities in a way
that denies them the skills they need. This is a oversimplification of
Delpit's view, and I don't agree with her view, but I thought it deserved
mention in reponse to your questions....
mark

Mark Warschauer, University of Hawai'i, markw who-is-at hawaii.edu
http://www.lll.hawaii.edu/markw

>What I would like to know is how do people make the initial
>connection between a theory of politics, or government, or
>even a view of human nature and something like techniques for
>reading instruction? Why couldn't phonics be a radical left-wing
>idea? and WHole Language an arch-reactionary one? what does it
>have to do with a smaller role for government in people's lives
>(ha!), or (my personal view of conservative philosophy) a
>fundamental belief that the poor are stupid and dangerous?
>JAY LEMKE.