Learning to Read: Your Way into the World of Messages

Learning to read is something that should be taught during a child's early years. The teaching paradigm of phonics utilizes teaching reading technique similar to how someone would teach a parrot to speak, through repetition, familiarization and association of letters to sounds.

The concept of whole language in assisting children to learn to read can be contrasted with the phonics-based principle. Under the whole language design, lesson plans should emphasize word meanings rather than skill instruction. Advocates of whole language system firmly believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and that truly analyzing the meaning behind words and text is the only way to facilitate reading and learning.

The following are but a few of the numerous concepts involved in the whole language principle:

• Consistently focuses on generating meaning through reading and the expression of meaning through writing.
• States that learners are free to interpret their own understanding of words based on available text. This model facilitates knowledge creation.
• Builds a firm foundation of a child's knowledge base through constant exposure to culturally-diverse literature.
• Encourages guided reading in small groups.
• Facilitates a child's capacity to admire books as a constant source of not just knowledge but leisure time as well.
• Reduces focus on other more technical lesson paradigms such as grammar, capitalization and punctuation.

The unique perspective whole language introduced into the standard teaching paradigm made it very popular during the late 1980s and all throughout 1990s. Some vocal critics, however, expressed their disdain about whole language's frivolous approach towards skill instruction, and that skill instruction is still the greater factor in influencing a child's learning capacity.

Several surveys conducted during the 1990s showed statistics of declining student achievements over the past years. Whole language, of course, took the fall when its detractors blamed it for being the source of the problem.

To date, whole language still plays a major role in the educational system as a way to assist children in learning to appreciate reading.