Offers responses from four readers of this journal, all reading and/or classroom teachers, to a question posed by another teacher: whether children who have had limited literacy experiences should start reading in whole-language readers and/or trade books or whether they should start in controlled-vocabulary preprimers. (SR)

Examines an initiative to introduce a multicultural- and whole-language-based early childhood curriculum in a private school in New Delhi, India. Considers the planning of the change from traditional education; the creation of an activity room for free play; parental responses to the new program; and factors that facilitated the change process.…

Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave his first hint about his plans for reforming the New York City school system on Martin Luther King Day in January 2003. Mayor Bloomberg did not offer a single excuse for the disastrous state of the city's schools. Nor did he attribute that failure to poverty or racism. Breaking with 50 years of liberal political…

Although the whole language perspective requires no money, it does involve "kid watching," or knowledge of individual class members and their interests. As the experiences of two elementary teachers illustrate, educators need only look to their own backyards and to past/present historical events for rich instructional material. Includes three…

Discusses literature-based classrooms and influences on students' reading habits. Highlights include beliefs about learning and teaching, including a comparison of the transmission model and the transactional model of education; the importance of literary experiences for language development and literacy learning, including phonological…

This paper describes the process of training teachers of students with hearing impairments to use whole-language teaching methods. The paper discusses success with whole language, resistance to whole-language methods, effects on students, effects on teaching, and advice to other trainers. (JDD)

Describes a long-term inservice program aimed at restructuring one elementary school's literacy program. Focuses on observed changes that occurred as teachers became active participants in staff development sessions designed around effective change principles. (SR)

A kindergarten teacher recounts her classroom experience introducing children to reading via the whole language approach, which is based on the belief that children learn to read and write naturally by listening, watching, speaking, and writing. Classroom photographs and samples of student work illustrate the article. (DB)

This paper discusses major principles characterizing the whole language philosophy of teaching and learning; assumptions of the mechanistic and relational paradigms; whole language practices such as the Shared Book Experience and Reading Recovery for helping students with reading difficulties; and the potential of whole language for developing…

Reviews the typical approach (synthetic phonics) to teaching reading in Finland. Suggests that teachers in English-speaking countries can learn from problems Finnish teachers face and vice versa. Finds that, despite a highly regular writing system, Finnish teachers find that a heavy phonics emphasis does not solve their reading instruction…

Change began in Saint Charles (Illinois) School District with a few teachers implementing new ideas in their own classrooms. Organized change began as principals and other administrators encouraged teachers to learn and grow. While teachers were developing process writing and whole-language programs, district embraced systemic change by entrusting…

Discusses three children who successfully learned phonics in three very different instructional settings (conventional, whole language, and tutoring in a learning center). Notes that the children developed in similar ways, yet at different rates; the teachers nudged the learners toward literacy development; and writing was a part of the curriculum…

Presents the story of one award-winning elementary school which shows that effective reading instruction demands a fine sense of balance. The school uses both phonics and whole language in order to teach to all children's needs. It also incorporates a balance of other techniques. After 3 years, the school's standards-based reading program is…

English Day is celebrated annually at one Israeli school through language- and culture-related activities. One year, the school implemented whole-language learning strategies and involved parents and students in related activities at a series of activity stations featuring movies, books, television, fashion, comics, games, technology, science,…

Offers five suggestions which may be helpful to educators in responding proactively to criticisms of literacy-learning practices, as they work cooperatively with parents, Boards of Education, tutors, and other key players in reinforcing the perspective that literacy learning is genuinely valued and is connected to meaningful contexts during daily…