Re: phonics politics
Dale Cyphert (DXC20 who-is-at PSUVM.PSU.EDU)
Tue, 7 May 96 14:01 EDT
Jay, I'm so glad to find someone equally fascinated by the
phonics/radical right link. I was beginning to think it was my
imagination. My own theory is that there are two (probably more) parts
to the link. One is a belief that phonics represents "pure" education,
untainted by the liberal politics of those secularhumanists. I remember
when the John Birch society sold McGuffy's Readers in their book stores
(in the 60's) with the same reactionary plea for a "return" to "real"
education. Second, whole language represents a great deal more than
just reading education. It promises to introduce kids to using
language, not merely the mechanics of reading, and is thus a point where
their kids can be corrupted by the schools. The interesting thing to me
is just how sensitive the right is to the power of discourse norms, even
though they would NEVER think of themselves as critical theorists!
dale