We Need Phonics, Along With Other Supports, For Reading

We need phonics, along with other supports, for reading

Finding ‘a middle way for the good of students’

Hechinger Report: 10.29.2018 by Kathleen Mikulka

“Balanced literacy.” It means different things to different people.

On the importance of explicit, systematic phonics instruction, I agree with Emily Hanford’s arguments in her recent article. I also believe that part of the reason we are still having this debate of phonics versus whole language versus balanced literacy is a matter of definitions.

Phonics instruction that is all worksheets all the time and those little decodable books is boring. All picture books all the time is great fun, but students are being shortchanged without the phonics piece.

I know. I was trained as a whole language reading teacher, and saw very quickly that my kindergarten students needed more explicit phonics instruction. Balanced literacy seemed to be the answer, as I believed it meant taking the best of both approaches. However, the literature defines balanced literacy differently.

Balanced literacy has come to mean a whole language approach with a little bit of phonics presented “as necessary.” I knew that wasn’t going to work, as I had at least 3 groups of students at different levels.

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Since balanced literacy means different things to different people, we need to come up with an alternative name that encompasses the best of both worlds. This new program should be reading instruction, including systematic and explicit phonics, read aloud, guided reading, and free-choice reading.  READ MORE >>