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activities that a 1st grade teacher uses with her students in a typical language arts block of time, and Figure 1
shows the process.
Start with whole text. Grounding instruction in whole texts provides the basis for meaningful literacy
activities. Examples include the shared reading of poems or stories using big books or charts. An active
demonstration of the teacher's own composing and spelling processes is extremely powerful, as he or she
models at the chalkboard, thinking aloud about what word will come next or how a word is spelled.
Focus on knowledge about the parts of language that may be useful for reading and writing.Responding
to all texts only at the holistic level is not enough. Instruction should include a planned, systematic effort to
highlight specific textual features and literary devices as a variety of materials are read, written, and discussed
over time. Highlighting specific textual features helps children form generalizations about language that they can
apply to their own independent efforts to read and write.
Return to whole texts for application and practice. Planned opportunities to apply what has been learned
about the parts of language allow students to move from simply knowing about a generalization to using that
knowledge in a purposeful way. This also acknowledges the fact that isolated language elements behave
differently depending on context. For example, the letter sbehaves differently when paired with t as opposed
to h. Words such as lead or wind not only mean different things in different contexts, they may be pronounced
differently. Effective beginning readers use word meaning and sentence structure, along with sound-letter
relationships, to approach unknown words.
Moving from whole to part and back to whole again thus provides a framework for planning that addresses skills
in a manner that is meaningful, strategic, and more characteristic of the way proficient readers actually use skills
when they read and write. Although the focus here is on beginning reading, the whole-part-whole framework can
be used to teach any skill.
PART to
WHOLE
Although the role of phonemic awareness in children's literacy development is still not completely clear, most
researchers agree that "training in phonological awareness is both possible and advantageous for children"
(Ayres 1993, p. 153). Questions remain, however, about how much phonemic awareness is a necessary
prerequisite to developing ability in decoding and how much is acquired in a reciprocal, mutually supportive
relationship with learning to read (Perfetti et al. 1987, Weaver 1998).
The debates about phonics and phonemic awareness have less to do with their value than with the amount and
type of instruction they require. The controversy generally pits systematic, intensive instruction against holistically
oriented approaches. Briefly stated, those promoting systematic, intensive phonics advocate an emphasis on
phonics that is highly sequenced, skills- or code-driven, and initiated early in the child's schooling. Children begin
by learning about the parts of words and build toward whole words. The approach stresses correct identification
and automaticity of response. Much of the research cited to support this view comes from experimental studies
where children's demonstration of performance is based on the results of standardized tests (Chall 1983, Adams
1990).
Holistically oriented approaches include philosophies and practices frequently associated with terms such
aswhole language, integrated language arts, and literature-based curriculum. In operation, these terms share
certain characteristics; however, they are not synonymous. Although virtually all holistically oriented teaching
includes to some extent such elements as greater emphasis on writing and its relationship to reading, greater use
of trade books, increased attention to the integration of the language arts, and greater reliance on informal
classroom assessment, teachers vary in their implementation of and adherence to various philosophies. Those
who emphasize meaning are likely to cite basic research on how children learn to read and write, as well as
classroom-based studies on long-term effects (Krashen 1993, Weaver 1994).
My experience suggests that these differences are much less apparent in the classroom than they are in the
debate. In practice, teachers who advocate holistic approaches are apt to include strong word-recognition
programs with phonics as a key tool for word recognition; and teachers who support intensive, systematic
phonics often read aloud to children and encourage invented spelling. Although the matter of emphasis is
important, it is unlikely that you will find classrooms that reflect polar ends of an instructional continuum. A
conceptual framework such as the whole-part-whole model allows for flexibility based on student needs.
succeed in a particular area. The use of running records and analyses of invented spelling serve this
purpose well.
5.
To track specific goals and objectives within an integrated language-arts framework, teachers must
know the instructional objectives their district requires at the grade level they teach. They also should be
extremely familiar with the objectives at the grade levels above and below theirs. Alignment of curricular
goals with instructional standards and assessment helps give everyone involved (teachers, administrators,
and parents) a clear sense of direction.
The phonics debates have been with us for a long time, evoking contrasting points of view. Many educators are
feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the growing polarization and politicization of issues. Most classroom
teachers find themselves in a different arena from that of the staunch advocates on either side of the issues. Too
often these opponents have become entrenched in their positions, having based their reputation on being right.
Meanwhile, classroom teachers watch with growing impatience as the debates escalate, with little light shed on
the topic for their benefit and that of the children they teach.
Effective teachers recognize phonics and phonemic awareness as useful tools for successful reading and writing.
But they also are aware of the dangers of overreliance on one method of word recognition and the potential
deterrent to successful reading. If the debate is to serve any productive purpose, it must be used as the basis for
constructive dialogues and collaborative efforts to examine and take advantage of the best research and practice
available. This must be done in a way that makes sense and is most effective for students, teachers, and
parents.
References
Adams, M. (1990). Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning About Text. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard
University Press.
Ayers, L.R. (1993). "The Efficacy of Three Training Conditions on Phonological Awareness of Kindergarten
Children and the Longitudinal Effect of Each on Later Reading Acquisition." Unpublished doctoral diss.,
Oakland University, Rochester, Mich.
Chall, J. (1983). Learning to Read: The Great Debate. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Krashen, S.D. (1993). The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries
Unlimited.
Perfetti, C., I. Beck, L. Bell, and C. Hughes. (1987). "Phonemic Knowledge and Learning to Read Are
Reciprocal: A Longitudinal Study of First Grade Children." Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 33, 283-319.
Strickland, D. (1998). Teaching Phonics Today: A Primer for Educators. Newark, Del.: International
Reading Association.
Weaver, C. (1994). Reading Process and Practice. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann.
Weaver, C. (1998). "Experimental Research: On Phonemic Awareness and on Whole Language."
InReconsidering a Balanced Approach to Reading, edited by C. Weaver. Urbana, Ill.: National Council of
Teachers of English.
Dorothy S. Strickland is the State of New Jersey Professor of Reading at Rutgers University Graduate School of
Education, 10 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1183.
Copyright 1998 by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Reference : http://www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/mar98/vol55/num06/What's-Basic-in-Beginning-Reading%C2%A2Finding-Common-Ground.aspx