Elisa,
I keep hearing people on this list reiterate the fact that whole language
does indeed teach phonics-- and they are 100% correct. I think where the
confusion comes is from, and I can only speak from my own experience, is how
"whole language" was marketed in our reading "basals" in the early 1990's. I
can't remember which series we had at the time-- maybe Scott Foresman???, but
anyway, you couldn't find ANY phonics instruction anywhere in that teacher's
manual. Being a very conscientious teacher, plus being somewhat new to
teaching and teaching at a new grade level, I was determined to follow that
manual like the bible. I was teaching 1st grade after teaching K for five
years without a manual (which turned out to be a good thing). Well, it didn't
take me long to discover that the "textbook's version" of whole language was
not doing the trick for my students. It was all modeling "think alouds" and
sight word vocabulary-- no word attack skills. I was soooo frustrated, and my
kids weren't reading at a level I was satisfied with. At that same time, a
spec. ed. friend of mine was having lots of success with Saxon Phonics in her
self-contained class. She advised that I give it a try. I figured that if it
worked for spec. ed. students certainly my class could benefit from it. So I
gave it a try. The results were dramatic-- my kids were reading and
comprehending fabulously. I felt betrayed by the "textbook", and it was at
that time in my teaching career that I decided that NO company, including
Saxon-- which I love, knew more about what was "right" for my kids than I did.
Afterall, I'm the teacher with a brain, training and a boatload of experience.
I keep all this in mind when a "new" idea comes down the pike. Good teachers
are flexible and adaptive to give their students the best instruction they can
which includes a combination of "whole language" and "phonics" strategies (for
those of us that still sense the division because of the way it was introduced
to us) into a balanced literacy program that truly meets the needs of their
students.
Jeanne Garringer
> Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 07:08:19 -0600
> From: elwaingor...@cbe.ab.ca
> To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Phonics and strategies must be balanced
>
> Hi Margaret,
> Just to clarify: whole language teachers teach phonics.
> Elisa
>
> Elisa Waingort
> Grade 2 Spanish Bilingual
> Dalhousie Elementary
> Calgary, Canada
>
> The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even
> touched. They must be felt within the heart.
> —Helen Keller
>
> Visit my blog, A Teacher's Ruminations, and post a message.
> http://waingortgrade2spanishbilingual.blogspot.com/
>
>
>
> I think this is such an interesting dialogue on the effectiveness of whole
> language versus phonics instruction. About five years ago during a faculty
> meeting, my principal asked our faculty to choose between the two and go to a
> side of the room for each strategy. I went to the whole language side as fast
> as I could. I was SHOCKED that the phonics side was more populated. Her point
> in the exercise was to demonstrate the differences in teaching philosophies.
>
> I lean towards whole language and have found my comfort zone with the
> reader's workshop. I also teach Words Their Way for spelling/phonics. Monday
> I spend teaching spelling groups in rotations---each group has an
> individualized list based on their word knowledge. Tuesday through Thursday
> we spend about 20 minutes on phonics. I work with one group and the rest of
> the class has the choice to build words with wicki sticks and write them in
> their journals, build their words with phonics tiles, or write word mountains
> using graph paper.
>
> Phonics is not my natural learning style, and so I spend a shorter time on
> it. But it has been my experience that it helps.
>
> I have loved being a part of this email group. Keep the heated debates
> coming! It's GREAT!
>
> Margaret
>
_________________________________________________________________
Get your vacation photos on your phone!
http://windowsliveformobile.com/en-us/photos/default.aspx?&OCID=0809TL-HM
_______________________________________________
Mosaic mailing list
Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.
Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
