RSS Feed

why do teachers refuse to teach reading ?

November 26, 2015 by Tunya

WHY do Teachers REFUSE To Teach Reading

Resistance To, And Sabotage Of, Teaching Reading — Sinister And Foreboding

Today’s mail is deeply disturbing. First the article on Why Kids Can’t Read from Bruce Deitrick Price (200+comments), Then the news column by Deb on Black Lives DON’T Matter in Education.

http://www.examiner.com/article/black-lives-don-t-matter-education

Then Will’s comment: “Jeanne Chall’s book: The Academic Achievement Challenge is an almost heartbreaking but sober account of a century’s successful efforts by educators to prevent reading.” ***

There is something very perverse if not pathological for people in the human service of education to deny assistance or willfully use teaching methods that seriously harm some of their subjects. ***

Equally diabolical is some of the treatment received by those in the field who speak up against poor practice. Here is an anecdote by Marilyn Jager Adams in the above book mentioned by Will:

“ . . . reviewing the research on phonics, Chall told me that if I wrote the truth, I would lose old friends and make new enemies. She warned me that I would never again be fully accepted by my academic colleagues . . . Sadly, however, as the evidence in favor of systematic, explicit phonics instruction for beginners increased, so too did the vehemence and nastiness of the backlash. The goal became one of discrediting not just the research, but the integrity and character of those who had conducted it. Chall was treated most shabbily . . . “

Yes, it’s over a century — these complaints. We’ve used the media for our complaints but these absurd inconsistencies seem entrenched in the culture. Reading Deb’s piece, with the facts and figures all laid out, how can anyone not come to the conclusion that some grave disservice to a visible minority AND mankind is being deliberately perpetrated? ***

How can the incoming refugees to our countries not be dismayed by these incongruities? BTW, I see a lot of the adult learning books that are to teach English to ESL students and adults heavily lean on whole-language principles and techniques. Is this how we integrate newcomers —by dumbing-down?


No Comments »

No comments yet.

You must be logged in to post a comment.