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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Columbia will dissolve Lucy Calkin’s reading and writing project:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/08/us/lucy-calkins-teachers-college.html

Who thought a non-phonics based, experimental approach was a good idea to adopt?

And where is the accountability?  The people responsible should be fired/ voted out.

Who were they?[/quote]

I taught for 12 years --I am a senior citizen.  I taught first and K

These are fads during the time I taught:

"center" instruction--the idea was that if you set up interesting "centers" in your classroom that the students would learn on their own

"language experience"  --Have kids tell you a story--write it down and have them "read" it back

"Sullivan"--"programmed" workbooks--yes, this was phonics based--but it was totally boring.  Maybe my school did not have all the appropriate materials, but we had no story books for them to read based on what they were being taught.  (The teachers scrambled to find old readers so that the students could have something to read.  The administration had burned the old books because they knew the teachers did not like the new program.  Yes, they burned the old books.)

There were other "fads" but these are the ones that stand out to me.

The best program?
1.Well designed basal readers that include phonics instruction, sight word instruction, interesting stories that appeal to children; and follow up with comprehension questions.  This instruction is done with small groups.  (It is a myth that basal readers do not include phonics instruction.  Perhaps, because some teachers ignored the teacher manual that comes with the books.  Every lesson included phonics when I was teaching.)
2.Additional: solid phonics instruction to whole class.

My fear: that the newest fad is going to emphasize phonics so much that they will leave out comprehension questions and motivation.

That said: phonics is extremely important--but there are some who will struggle with it and other techniques should not be ignored.

The "science of reading" is not new.  But, I am glad phonics is being taught now.  It certainly was not taught for some time in Fairfax County.[/quote]

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