Phonics vs. Whole Language

1. Phonics vs. Whole Language By: Rebecca Kramer & Jenna Holland

2. The ongoing debate… • Which is the best way to teach a child to read? Phonics or Whole Language

3. What’s the difference? Phonics- • children are taught to dissect unfamiliar words into parts and then join the parts together to form words. • By learning these letter-sound relationships the student is provided with a decoding formula that can be applied whenever they encounter an unfamiliar word.

4. Whole Language • With whole language, teachers are expected to provide a literacy rich environment for their students and to combine speaking, listening, reading, and writing. • Whole language teachers emphasize the meaning of texts over the sounds of letters, and phonics instruction becomes just one component of the whole language classroom. • Whole language is considered a "top down“ • approach where the reader constructs a • personal meaning for a text, based on using • their prior knowledge to interpret the • meaning of what they are reading.

5. Pros for a Phonics based Program • Builds better pronunciation and word recognition • Formulas can be applied again and again • Will help children with spelling far more than the memorization and guesswork of whole language

6. Cons for a Phonics based Program • A child may have difficulty understanding the full meaning of a text, due to the constant breaking down of words into parts • The rules and rote learning it entails are stifling and may cause children to develop the attitude that reading is a chore

7. Pros for a Whole Language based Program • Provides a better understanding of the text, and a more interesting and creative approach to reading • More emphasis on meaning and comprehension and less emphasis on phonics • Children memorize large numbers of sight words • Children learn to read by reading

8. Cons for a Whole Language based Program • Whole Language learning may come at the expense of accuracy and correctness • Ex. A child may be awarded high marks for “overall language use,” even if he or she has misspelled many words

9. Which is better? • Visual learners tend to benefit from the whole language approach • Auditory learners learn what they hear so they rely more on phonetics

10. Does this mean you should categorize your child, and push for one teaching method? • NO- most children learn through a combination of techniques • The different strengths that each method offers, suggests that a mixed approach for each child will probably be most beneficial!

11. What do others have to say? • “Many combinations and permutations are necessary to provide an optimal learning environment for an entire class of readers.” (educationworld.com) • “To provide balanced reading instruction, schools must give thoughtful consideration to such elements as curriculum, assessment, and professional development.”(ncrel.org) • “Good instruction in reading must combine these two approaches and balance the instruction. So in a classroom I would hope to see lots of reading and writing, but also some focused word study going on.” (Dr. Woody Trathen)

12. Combining Phonics with Whole Language Programs • Balance your reading program by focusing on literature and fun. Read to students often, choral read with them, and give them time to read both alone and in pairs. • Guard against boredom- Spend only a brief time each day on phonics and do no more than one worksheet daily. • Use many word games in your teaching. For most children, phonics is easier to learn if they are having fun. • If students are not able to learn phonics easily, try other reading approaches, like recorded books or story writing. • Develop a classroom library. Have children browse, read, and discuss books.

13. Combining Phonics with Whole Language Programs • Balance the reading program by providing as much structure as needed and some step-by-step skill work, especially for analytic students, while emphasizing literature and fun. • Provide sufficient tools for decoding words, using small amounts of direct instruction in phonics for auditory and analytic learners. Tape-record phonics lessons so that students can work independently to improve skills. • Don't use invented spelling for long periods with highly analytic learners or students who have memory problems.

14. Works Cited • Donat, Dorothy J. Reading Their Way: a Balance of Phonics and Whole Language. Lanham: The Scarecrow P, Inc., 2003. • Krashen, Stephen D. Three Arguments Against Whole Language & Why They are Wrong. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1999. • Dr. Woodrow Trathen, Appalachian State University • Krashen, Stephen D. "Defending Whole Language." 4 Apr. 2006 <http://www.sdkrashen.com/articles/defending_whole_language/defending_whole_language.pdf>. • "Whole Language." Wikipedia. 23 Feb. 2006. 4 Apr. 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_language>. • Cromwell, Sharon. “Whole Language and Phonics: Can They Work Together?” 2 Apr. 2006 <http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr029.shtml> • “North Central Regional Educational Laboratory” 12 Apr. 2006 http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/timely/briover.htm • Reyhner, Jon. “The Reading Wars.” 26 March 2006 <http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/Reading_Wars.html>