An Old and Contested Solution to Boost Reading Scores: Phonics
An Old and Contested Solution to Boost Reading Scores: Phonics
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.Ari Cotton, a first grader, reading a book at Garrison Elementary School in Washington, D.C., one of only two jurisdictions in the country that saw rising scores on national reading tests last year.Credit...Lexey Swall for The New York TimesAs test scores lag, there’s a growing debate between proponents of the “science of reading,” which emphasizes phonics, and traditional educators who prefer to instill a love of literature.Ari Cotton, a first grader, reading a book at Garrison Elementary School in Washington, D.C., one of only two jurisdictions in the country that saw rising scores on national reading tests last year.Credit...Lexey Swall for The New York TimesFeb. 15, 2020WASHINGTON — “Bit!” Ayana Smith called out as she paced the alphabet rug in front of her kindergarten students at Garrison Elementary School.“Buh! Ih! Tuh!” the class responded in unison, making karate chop motions as they enunciated the sound of each letter. In a 10-minute lesson, the students chopped up and correctly spelled a string of words:Top. “Tuh! Ah! Puh!”Wig. “Wuh! Ih! Guh!”Ship. “Shuh! Ih! Puh!”Ms. Smith’s sounding-out exercises might seem like a common-sense way to teach reading. But for decades, many teachers have embraced a different approach, convinced that exposing students to the likes of Dr. Seuss and Maya Angelou is more important than drilling them on phonics.Lagging student performance and newly relevant research, though, have prompted some educators to reconsider the ABCs of reading instruction. Their effort gained new urgency after national test scores last year showed that only a third of American students were proficient in reading, with widening gaps between good readers and bad ones.Now members of this vocal minority, proponents of what they call the “science of reading,” congregate on social media and swap lesson plans intended to avoid creating “curriculum casualties” — students who have not been effectively taught to read and who will continue to struggle into adulthood, unable to comprehend medical forms, news stories or job listings.The bible for these educators is a body of research produced by linguists, psychologists and cognitive scientists. Their findings have pushed some states and school districts to make big changes in how teachers are trained and students are taught.The “science of reading” stands in contrast to the “balanced literacy” theory that many teachers are exposed to in schools of education. That theory holds that students can learn to read through exposure to a wide range of books that appeal to them, without too much emphasis on technically complex texts or sounding out words.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT