Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 27, 1995 TAG: 9504270029
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ARNOLD J. SAARI
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
During my Washington, D.C., tenure as an Office of Education fellow in the late '60s, the big push was for Individually Prescribed Instruction, better known as IPI.
Millions of federal dollars were spent on these short-lived crusades in an attempt to improve the quality of America's elementary and secondary schools. Arguably, some benefit may have been derived from these huge expenditures, but millions were wasted on programs pushed by members of the education establishment's good ol' boy network.
It's mind-baffling to total up the money that has been spent on elementary and secondary education in an attempt to develop a literate nation. America should rank No. 1 with such generous funding, but it ranks no better than 14th among industrialized nations. Why? It's a valid question that deserves to be addressed with more than an acknowledgement of the problem and a few hollow promises.
Everyone understands the importance of eliminating illiteracy and of making English easier for all people, since it is now the international language. Public-school officials and juvenile-court judges continue to emphasize that the most common characteristic of delinquents is their inability to read and write. It is also the main reason for low academic achievement and dropping out of school. Illiteracy, therefore, is a serious societal problem that causes delinquency, crime, racial unrest, drug abuse, welfare problems and unemployment.
It is reported that more than 60 million Americans are unable to read and write, and 90 million are functional illiterates. Interestingly, nearly all of these people attended the public schools at least through the fifth or sixth grade and should have learned to read, write and spell before leaving elementary school.
What went wrong, and is there a solution to the illiteracy problem? Yes, fortunately, but it must start with a serious commitment to a basic education that teaches all to read, write and spell everyday English well. That is a prerequisite for all further education. Our language is the most valuable heritage the past has to offer us. Our first duty is to teach it so well that illiteracy, and with it mass ignorance, will disappear.
A high degree of literacy can be achieved when parents, grandparents and concerned citizens join forces to insist upon the removal of the philosophy of teaching reading that is used in approximately 85 percent of our nation's schools. This philosophy (not a method) is called by many names - ``look-say,'' language experiences, psycholinguistics, whole word, whole language, etc. Whatever it's called, there is no scientific research in favor of this approach to the teaching of beginning reading. It's time to reverse the ``whole language'' trend before the decline in American educational performance becomes irreversible.
Is there a way to teach beginning reading that can assure a high degree of basic skill competence in the language ``arts''? Of course there is, and the method is called phonics. The English language is a phonetic language. Computer technology has been able to document that approximately 90 percent of the language is phonetically accurate, with only about 10 percent being comprised of words whose roots are from other languages or may be spelled irregularly. Simple rules atone for any irregularity and are easily learned by youngsters.
The public, fortunately, is becoming increasingly aware that the key to literacy is a return to systematic and inexpensive phonics instruction in our elementary schools. The ``movement'' is gaining momentum throughout the country and has resulted in pro-phonics legislation in some states. Perhaps it's time for Virginia to do likewise.
Arnold J. Saari of Blacksburg is a former elementary-school reading teacher and superintendent of schools in Montgomery County and Greensville County/Emporia City.
by CNB