Whole language

The whole language movement is an attempt to improve the teaching of reading in the public schools. It is often analyzed in contrast with the phonic method of instruction.

According to whole language philosophy, language should not be separated into component skills, but rather experienced as an integrated system of communication. Whole language has been characterized as encouraging children to guess at the pronunciation of words rather than focusing on phonics or memorization.

The components of a whole language literacy program include

• literate classroom environment
• reading to and with students
• individualized instruction
• independent reading
• students as authors
• integrating literacy skills into curriculum across disciplines
• increased parent involvement

Critics of "whole language" maintain that it is less effective than the traditional phonics-based approach. Proponents maintain that it does incorporate phonics. It has also been noted that non-alphabetic languages can only be taught "whole language", one pictogram or character at a time.

It also has been noted, that although people really do read on whole language principles, some believe that you first must learn how to read phonetically before naturally progressing to reading whole words and concepts rather than letters and sounds, which happens to almost all effective readers. In contradiction to the pictographic point of above, some have made the simile that teaching a phonetic language using Whole Language is like teaching people to read chinese without teaching them how to write the letters, which would hamper a person's ability to remember and distinguish between letters.

External link

• Whole Language in an Elementary School Library Media Center. ERIC Digest.

• Forgotten Phonics rules from the early 1800s. Organized in printable sections to use as "cheat sheets" when figuring out how to pronounce words. Includes individual letter rules, dipthongs, tripthongs, silent letter rules and substitute letter rules.

See Also

• Reading recovery