Phonics vs. Whole Language Essay -- Philosophy of Language

Phonics vs. Whole Language What is the best method for teaching children to read? This is probably not something that a lot of people think about on a regular basis. However, I think it is very important to discuss the ways in which children learn to read. Reading has become a very important element in our society. With the rapid advancement of America, having good reading skills is essential to getting ahead in jobs and even in making dinner. Children are the future doctors, lawyers, and presidents of our country and I, as a future teacher, wouldn’t want to send children out into the world with poor reading skills. I also think it is important to discuss reading methods because I see, after doing an interview with a veteran teacher, that a lot of new and future teachers aren’t as knowledgeable about different methods of teaching reading as we probably should be. I think that before beginning to discuss reading methods, we should first discuss what reading is. According to the International Reading Association, â€Å"Reading is complex system of deriving meaning from print that requires all of the following: †¢ The development and maintenance of a motivation to read. The development of appropriate active strategies to construct meaning from print. †¢ Sufficient background information and vocabulary to foster reading comprehension. †¢ The ability to read fluently. †¢ The ability to decode unfamiliar words. †¢ The skills and knowledge to understand how phonemes or speech sounds are connected to print.† The article also states that a skilled beginning reading teacher is a professional who knows what this definition means, can assess c... ...Karin L. and Patricia L. Scharer. â€Å"Phonics Teaching and Learning in Whole Language Classrooms: New Evidence From Research.† Reading Teacher 53. 7 (April 2000). Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Camden Carroll Library. Morehead State University. 28 Oct 2003. Hammons, Karen. Personal Interview. 2 Dec 2003. Lawrence, Brenda. Personal Interview. 7 Nov 2003. Manzo, Kathleen Kennedy. â€Å"Whole Language Lives.† Teacher Magazine 10. 8(May June 1999): 11 – 13. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Camden Carroll Library. Morehead State University. 28 Oct 2003. Pressley, Michael, et al. Learning to Read: Lessons From Exemplary First – Grade Classrooms. New York: Guilford Press, 2001. â€Å"Using Multiple Methods of Beginning Reading Instruction a Position Statement of the International Reading Association.† International Reading Association. Jan 1999.