CHARLES BEAMS spoke of Whole Language 3 to DAN TRIPLETT on 09-07-96
CB>Responding to a message by Dan, to Charles on ...
CB> 
CB>DT>I think it would be interesting to see reliable research data the
CB>DT>shows  how a heavy dose of phonics instruction leads to good
CB>DT>reading skills.  I don't think phonics alone will lead to good
CB>DT>reading ability.  I also am  willing to bet there is evidence to
CB>DT>show that phonics instruction really isn't necessary for teaching
CB>DT>decoding skills, at least in the heavy  doses you suggest.
CB> 
CB>I was going to suggest that the crux of our disagreement was a matter
CB>of  degree until you suggested that heavy doses of phonics were not 
CB>necessary.  I believe that phonics instruction should be a strong 
CB>component of any reading program.  Not the entire program, mind you, 
CB>but a big part of it.  I wish I had both the time and the energy to 
CB>research all of this further, but I do not.
I think you would be surprised to see just what I think good phonics 
instruction really contains.  There is more to the story than a - apple 
/a/.  I did say that I *suspect* there is research evidence to show that 
heavy phonics instruction is not really necessary to a successful 
reading program.
Phonics should be a component, perhaps a strong one as you suggest, but 
how to teach that component may be the question.  In my view the 
drilling of a - apple - /a/ etc. does not make a good phonics program.  
It is but a small part and perhaps unnecessary.  There are so many other 
ways to teach phonics.  You mentioned phonemic awareness is a recent 
post.  I am thinking aloud here but I think that when many children 
become phonemically aware they begin to make sense of beginning sounds 
and progress to ending sound and then medial sounds almost on their own.  
I see this happen every year in my class.  I think I do a pretty good 
job of teaching phonics using literature, poems, rhymes, songs, games, 
and through writing activities.  Many times when I introduce a letter 
several children will already know the beginning sound and be able to 
name many things that begin with that same sound.
I have a little girl who is 6 as of Sept 6.  She reads at a second grade 
level? (Maybe a good first grade reader)  She was taught by her older 
sisters.  I wonder how they were able to do this.  This 6 year old can 
read directions and write answers according to those directions.  (like 
find the missing vowel  h_g r_g....corresponding to the picture.  (her 
mother bought her the book and showed it to me...ahhhh)
Dan
CMPQwk 1.42 445p
(A)bort, (R)etry, (I)gnore, (S)orry I Asked
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