Re: some joint activity re contextless reading?

Ilda Carreiro King (kingil who-is-at bc.edu)
Tue, 23 Mar 1999 22:57:27 -0500

In response to Dr. Goodman, I believe phonics is only one facet of literacy
instruction and I would agree that no single method or practice should be
law. Instead teachers should be encouraged to have a repertoire of skills
and be encouraged to develop an understanding of the structure of the
language from which to choose appropriate instructional experiences and
materials for their students. I would again caution those reading that
Spaulding is not a copying and memorizing technique any more than Orton
Gillingham is. The supervised clinical training makes a world of difference
in getting beyond the surface analysis of any technique.

I share your alarm if laws are defining reading as a medical problem and
mandating a deficit view of language and language development or reading.

Dr. Ilda

Ken Goodman wrote:

> In response to ms. King:
>
> I've published a book, Phonics Phacts in which I lay out what I know
> and believe about phonics. It will not pay for us to get into a debate
> on phonics here. Phonics, in my analysis, is not a method of teaching of
> reading but a set of relationships between someone's phonology and the
> orthography in an alphabetically written language.
>
> I disagree with Ms. King about the role of phonics in reading (not
> whether is a role) and about Samuel Oration's analysis of ENglish
> orthography which is the basis for programs such as one identified with
> the Scottish Rite Children's hospital based on Orton Gillingham One of
> chief concerns is writing any body' methods or materials into law and
> enforcing their use. Unfortunately every bad old phonics program is
> being disinterred and promoted including Spaulding which has children
> copying and memorizing every rule of the Orton-Gillingham system.
>
> There is considerable alarm among literacy professionals that laws are
> defining reading as medical problem and mandating deficit views of
> language and language development.
>
> As lone as these issues were the subject of debate within the
> professional community, with conflicting theory and research they could
> be judged on their own merit. But when the law declares the debate over
> and tells teachers what they may or may not do- on penalty of loss of
> job or loss of liberty then I think phonics is a convenient vehicle for
> controlling teachers and learners.
> Ken Goodman
>
> --
> Kenneth S. Goodman, Professor, Language, Reading & Culture
> 504 College of Education, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
> fax 520 7456895 phone 520 6217868
>
> These are mean times- and in the mean time
> We need to Learn to Live Under Water