There is a terrible lie out there. It is even perpetrated by this fine website, the place that has helped me keep my sanity for these past five years. The lie is even in this week’ front-page story about reading programs. It goes like this “There is no one reading program that works for every child….” While I have never doubted that statement, its use is an excuse to not teach ANY reading program. Teachers of my vintage were taught to “slow down, do it again and be nice”. Now with tons of research into brain function and many reputable reading programs with years of data, the lie still allows school districts like yours and mine, colleges that prepare teachers and individual teachers themselves to not teach any program because after all no one program works. I know that this week’s article really says, therefore teachers need to know many programs and integrate them to meet an individual child’s needs. But that is not what happens except in a few wonderful places. I have sat in too many IEP meetings, my own son’s included, and heard vague reports of processing problems and goals that say he will “read a passage on a 4th grade level” when I know the teacher has no skills to understand or effect any progress. First, researchers need to tell us what works under what circumstances. Second, teachers need to be trained and supported to deliver these programs. That most likely means drastic changes in schools, since many children need intensive, early intervention. But, that done the child could move into a consistent program and continue building on the foundation that has been laid. We would not accept the lie from any other institution in our society. There is no one cure for cancer, so we’ll just give you aspirin. School districts and all that feed into them are like an educational HMO. (Sorry if the analogy bothers you). Schools don’t really know why your child can’t read, the researchers haven’t really told the colleges, the colleges haven’t told the teachers and NOBODY want to pay for your child to get the best help that is available. So, first its “let’s see if he catches up, to let’s put him in special ed (which has less of a reading program than anyone else), to if he tried harder, to if you were better parents, to gee that’s too bad he won’t get a diploma. The lie says there is no one thing to do and schools interpret that to mean therefore we won’t really do anything and your child and mine still can’t read.
Re: A terrible lie
I couldn’t agree more. If we stop looking for cures, surely we all will parrish. We live in an age with no heroes, because no one is allow to be a hero. It is a pity, and to what do we aspire?
Re: A terrible lie
Angela:
The terrible lie is perpetrated so that school can go on teaching using a “whole language” philosophy and get away with it. That’s my opinion. Of course now they don’t say whole language anymore. They use psuedonyms like “balanced literacy” and “Four-blocks.” Four Blocks is just whole language packaged as a program. Balanced literacy is mostly whole language with a new name. Anything so phonics does not have to be taught explicitly and systematically. Anything so “predictable” text can be used instead of “decodable text.”
This is so sad. So many children will continue to “fall through the cracks.” Perhaps there is a balance somewhere. The problem is that there is not concensus as to what that balance comprises.
Margo
He can read. Can he read?
Most people (not all) can be taught to read something. It is likely that no one can read everything.
Reading is more than accurate word identification or even the ability to define words. Reading ability requires these things, but there can be no reading in the absence of the ability to mesh (activate) meaning from text.
Task One is to state what reading you want a student to be able to read.
Task Two is to determine how much of it he already knows.
Task Three is to teach him the reading you want him to know that he does not already know.
Task Four is to measure his reading ability to discover if you have taught him what you want him to know.
Decide what reading “health” is.
Do not invent a cure for which there is no disease.
Use the reading method that makes progress with your students.
If Reading Ability exists, it can be measured.
Reading Ability exists, and it can be measured.
Peace.