This paper compares and contrasts theories about how children learn to read and what methods are most effective for teaching reading. Literacy is an essential skill in contemporary society, and considerable research has been devoted to understanding how it is acquired. Yet experts still do not agree on the use of phonics, the rote memorization of rules, or a whole-language approach, in which complete immersion leads to the ability to read. Some argue for a combination of techniques but disagree on the relative proportions of each. Experts also disagree on how early to begin teaching reading and the content of the materials that ought to be presented during the early stages. This paper examines the writings of several different researchers in the field and compares the themes and theories of each.
The publication in 1955 of Rudolf Flesch's book, Why Johnny Can't Read, touched off a firestorm of controversy within the educational community. The book showed dramatically how the traditional methods of teaching reading had failed to teach a substantial portion of America's children.
Samuel L. Blumenfeld is one of the strongest critics of the whole-word method that was once the usual way of teaching children to read. He writes, "Not only does this method not teach the child to read, but it places almost insurmountable obstacles to his ever learning to read" (31). Flesch's groundbreaking book inspired a rising interest in phonics, and Blumenfeld is one of the technique's boosters.
Phonics relies on the "look-say" method of learning and requires the student learn a series of rules before beginning to try to read. Proponents argue that phonics takes longer to get the child started but provides a sounder basis for long-term learning. Blumenfeld contends, "A child can learn an initial sight vocabulary faster than he can learn the alphabet and letter sounds. However, this initial success is deceptive because it does not provide...