In Defense of Good Teaching : What Teachers Need to Know About the 'Reading Wars'

Who's Afraid Of Whole Language? Politics, Paradigms, Pedagogy, And The Press / Kenneth S. Goodman -- It's A Long Story-and It's Not Done Yet / Carole Edelsky -- What's Religion Got To Do With Attacks On Whole Language? / Ellen H. Brinkley -- California Reading: The Pendulum Swings / David Freeman And Yvonne S. Freeman -- We'll Eat The Elephant One Bite At A Time: The Continuing Battle For Control Of Literacy Education In Texas / Linda Ellis -- Mandating Methodology: Promoting The Use Of Phonics Through State Statute / Frances R.a. Paterson -- Phonics, Whole Language, And The Religious And Political Right / Constance Weaver And Ellen H. Brinkley -- Thirty Years Of Research In Reading: When Is A Research Summary Not A Research Summary? / Richard I. Allington And Haley Woodside-jiron -- The Sky Is Falling: Whole Language Meets Henny Penny / Sharon Murphy -- Whole Language As Decoy: The Real Agenda Behind The Attacks / Bess Altwerger -- Organizing For Political Action: Suggestions From Experience / Ellen H. Brinkley And Constance Weaver. Edited By Kenneth S. Goodman. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 191-192). Is whole language the cause of the problems that beset our schools?Is the debate between whole language and phonics a cover-up for control of what and how students learn?Is it appropriate that legislators, lobbyists, textbook publishers, and private interest groups evaluate and promote research on teaching and learning?Is Christian fundamentalism being exploited by political and economic groups?Is the attack on whole language supported by research that is valid?Is the issue of teaching reading now so polarized that even a "balanced" approach is no longer acceptable in some schools?These questions have come out of the reading wars. And teachers now must be articulate and knowledgeable defendants of their own positions in the debate if they are to retain control of their profession. In Defense of Good Teaching is the whole language community's first concerted response to its attackers, reveals some disturbing truths in the reading wars: deliberate misrepresentation of ideas, about the role of the press, conflicting political agendas played out in our schools, teachers and administrators marginalized for their beliefs, and commercial interests dressed up as scientific research. This is an alarming and enlightening book and, as the dispute broadens to affect teaching of math and bilingual education, it is an important book. It will be invaluable to teachers who want the means and strategies to respond to criticism, to analyze arguments and to defend their position. More is at stake than whole language. Is whole language the cause of the problems that beset our schools? Is the debate between whole language and phonics a cover-up for control of what and how students learn? Is it appropriate that legislators, lobbyists, textbook publishers, and private interest groups evaluate and promote research on teaching and learning? Is Christian fundamentalism being exploited by political and economic groups? Is the attack on whole language supported by research that is valid? Is the issue of teaching reading now so polarized that even a balanced approach is no longer acceptable in some schools? These questions have come out of the reading wars. And teachers now must be articulate and knowledgeable defendants of their own positions in the debate if they are to retain control of their profession. In Defense of Good Teaching is the whole language community's first concerted response to its attackers, reveals some disturbing truths in the reading deliberate misrepresentation of ideas, about the role of the press, conflicting political agendas played out in our schools, teachers and administrators marginalized for their beliefs, and commercial interests dressed up as scientific research. This is an alarming and enlightening book and, as the dispute broadens to affect teaching of math and bilingual education, it is an important book. It will be invaluable to teachers who want the means and strategies to respond to criticism, to analyze arguments and to defend their position. More is at stake than whole language. Contents......Page 4 Acknowledgments......Page 6 1 Who’s Afraid of Whole Language? Politics, Paradigms, Pedagogy, and the Press......Page 8 2 It’s a Long Story—And It’s Not Done Yet......Page 44 3 What’s Religion Got to Do with Attacks on Whole Language?......Page 62 4 California Reading: The Pendulum Swings......Page 78 5 We’ll Eat the Elephant One Bite at a Time: The Continuing Battle for Control of Literacy Education in Texas......Page 92 6 Mandating Methodology: Promoting the Use of Phonics Through State Statute......Page 112 7 Phonics, Whole Language, and the Religious and Political Right......Page 132 8 Thirty Years of Research in Reading: When Is a Research Summary Not a Research Summary?......Page 148 9 The Sky Is Falling: Whole Language Meets Henny Penny......Page 164 10 Whole Language as Decoy: The Real Agenda Behind the Attacks......Page 180 11 Organizing for Political Action: Suggestions from Experience......Page 188 About the Authors......Page 198 In Defense of Good Teaching represents the whole language community's first concerted response to its attackers, revealing some disturbing truths in the reading wars: deliberate misrepresentation of ideas, about the role of the press, conflicting agendas played out in our schools, teachers and administrators marginalized for their beliefs, and commercial interests dressed up as scientific research. This alarming and enlightening book remains invaluable to teachers who want the means and strategies to respond to criticism, to analyze arguments and to defend their position In Defense of Good Teaching reveals some disturbing truths in the conglict over teaching reading: deliberate misrepresentation of ideas, conflicting political agendas played out in our schools, teachers and administrators marginalized for their beliefs, and commercial interests dressed up as scientific research. More is at stake than whole language.