Why Johnny Still Can’t Read
In the 1920s, leading educators condemned alphabetic analysis, proposing children learn reading simply by reading, memorizing whole words, which they still do. Despite program modifications, two basic operating principles force disappointing outcomes: Beginning readers should use phonics incidentally, because accomplished readers do, and can learn to read, without instruction, by immersion in the printed word, as infants learn to talk by immersion in spoken words. Special education becomes a necessity, and many disadvantaged and learning-disabled remain disadvantaged and disabled. Teachers actually pronounce them incapable of learning!
Also in the 1920s, Samuel Orton, an M.D. and brain specialist, found that nearly every child referred to his mental health clinics was a nonreader. Working closely with excellent teachers, Orton developed a method in which children interactively employ four sensory pathways to the brain — aural, oral, tactile and visual — supporting every learning tendency, and overcoming the deficiencies of learning disabilities and a disadvantaged home life. In 1957 one such teacher, Romalda Spalding, published the Writing Road to Reading, now in its sixth printing. The program’s remarkable test results are at www.spalding.org. There, select WRTR Program, then research from the drop-down list.
Whole-word learning is expensive. Selecting three typical publishers’ per-pupil costs from a 1993 Department of Education basal reading program analysis: MacMillan, $295; Houghton-Mifflin, $312; Scott-Foresman, $218. Those graded readers and workbooks are still required today. WRTR uses no workbooks or graded readers; per-pupil costs are 60 cents. And success without special education dramatically increases already significant savings. Yet no local public school uses WRTR, and probably no phonics-based language-arts program. Why?
Educators can’t wait to get inside kids’ heads. Armed with whole-word’s meaningless axiom, “Reading for Meaning,” they push first-graders into upper-grade activities, where reading is not a discrete skill as found in shop or driver’s education, but moralistic educational fundamentalism, beguiling children with visions of tolerance, curiosity and creativity, and denying them the means to real independent creativity — excellent skills in the everyday crafts of reading and writing. Educational publishers, however, reap impressive profits, and special education is an attractive career path. Our schoolchildren are victims of our greed and fantasies.
Thomas W. Graves
Grantham
Incense and Incensed
On the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, some 5 kilometers north of Tiberias, sits Magdala — site of a Roman fishing village that was the birthplace of Mary Magdalene. Ongoing excavations at the site have uncovered a stone altar believed to be a replica of the Jerusalem Temple, an ancient synagogue in which Jesus may well have preached, and the remains of a 2000-year-old fishing boat.
Most recently, archaeologists found an incense shovel (“Second Temple Relics Discovered by Lake Kinneret,” Ha’aretz, April 5) of the kind the high priest would have used when he entered the Holy of Holies on The Day of Atonement to make expiation for himself and his family (Lev. 16:11-13).
The smoke created by the burning incense served two purposes: It filled the room with fragrance and it provided a smoke screen to prevent the high priest from gazing upon the Deity and dying (“. . . for no man may see Me and live,” Ex. 33:20).
But no amount of fragrant incense (read: propaganda) can quell the stench of the Occupation or provide a smoke screen to hide the obscene reality of what is being done to the Palestinians. In the name of security, the occupiers often cede their humanity in order to control and humiliate those occupied. “The stranger who resides with you (Lev. 19:33-34)” is turned into “the enemy” who lacks the tselem Elohim/image of God.
With all the incense and smoke, the sin remains unexpiated.
Rabbi Dov Taylor
Woodstock
Congressional Oversight
I would like to begin this letter with a huge congrulations to the VA Medical Center in White River Junction for a spectacular day, March 29, in the Celebration of Vietnam Veterans. I served in the Army Military Intelligence branch from 1970 until 1973. I was a Vietnam-era veteran, as I was trained in Laotian and my only overseas assignment was in Nicaragua, not Vietnam. The VA facility and all its staff did such a wonderful job in showing all the veterans, including me, a great day filled with so many “thank you’s.”
These men that served there are the real heroes, and I was so proud to be a part of that day. I still cannot believe the huge turnout we had for the event; it is great to see that and feel the appreciation for those who served and for those who made tremendous sacrifices.
Special kudos go out to the coverage by the Valley News of the event — as it should be, a front-page story, a large front-page photo, with coverage of both the morning and afternoon events. Thank you so much.
It boggles my mind that this event, a long time in the planning and a national event, was passed over by the Congressional delegates that Vermont and New Hampshire have in Washington. Not one of them — five Democrats, two Republicans — saw the significance of the event and saved this day to attend.
Four senators and three representatives all had more important things to do than be in White River Junction that day, including one who is running for president on a campaign of promoting more benefits for veterans, and one who serves on the House VA committee. Words mean nothing to us, as actions speak louder than words.
The actions of these seven people tell you all you need to know about how concerned our leaders are about putting words into actions. A couple of them could not even bother to present a letter and statement to be read at the ceremony. And Washington wonders why the people are so disgusted with Washington. Somehow, some way, there should have been some federal representation at this ceremony. As a Vermont resident, I must say that my representatives are an embarrassment to this state and to the people that they supposedly represent.
Ollie Jakob
Fairlee