Presents three patterns of literature-based reading instruction and illustrates their role in the moving from a traditional reading program toward a whole language, literature-based reading program. (MG)

In this practitioners' guide, a recognized reading expert explains how educators, parents, and concerned citizens can spot ineffective reading programs that may hide under the "scientifically-based" banner. Although the term "whole language" is not commonly used today, programs based on its premises remain popular. These…

A study examined strategies for embedding literacy skills within a whole language program. A questionnaire was given to full-time whole language elementary school teachers who taught in kindergarten through second-grade classrooms. All the participants teach in suburban school districts in the Bay Area including San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, and…

A study examined the theoretical orientation of infant school and infant department teachers in England. The Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile (TORP) was used to determine the teacher's orientation to reading instruction. TORP applies a Likert scale response system to a series of statements about how reading should be taught. Subjects…

This collection reflects the stance that a truly balanced approach to reading instruction will focus not only on reading but on literacy; integrate language and literacy across disciplines; attend to reading, writing, and other skills and strategies in context; and reflect a coherent integration of as broad a research base as possible. Following a…

This position paper contends that the whole language approach to reading instruction has been disproved by research and evaluation but still pervades textbooks for teachers, instructional materials for classroom use, some states' language-arts standards and other policy documents, teacher licensing requirements and preparation programs, and the…

Finds that state-level textbook adoption committee members reported four major unresolved reading issues: (1) assessment of students' reading progress; (2) whole language versus basal approaches; (3) ability grouping; and (4) use of tradebooks in place of basals. Suggests that the members may lack sufficient specific knowledge of the issues to…

Trains 94 first graders using a structured phonological reading method emphasizing English phonology and phoneme/grapheme correspondence. Compares to a control group who received a whole-language-plus-phonics approach. Notes that children in all groups improved their phonological awareness by the same amount. Concludes that phonological awareness…

The debate among major theorists of the whole-language approach (Kenneth Goodman and Frank Smith) and their critics (e.g., Philip Gough) is summarized. It concludes that the Goodman/Smith theoretical position has not stood the test of time, though some of their instructional recommendations may be valid for other reasons. (Author/DB)

Analyzes 18 articles selected as representative explanations of the whole-language position. Finds three themes that frame the thought and activities of the movement: general definitions, learning and teaching, and reading and reading instruction. Analyzes the articles using deconstruction to find their implicit assumptions, revealing underlying…

Responds to an article in the same journal on the rhetoric of whole language. Challenges issues of representation, motives involved, and the small unrepresentative sample involved. Discusses the rhetoric of camouflage. (SR)

Responds to an article in the same journal on the rhetoric of whole language. Shows how the authors of that article fail to do what they set out to do from their own perspective. Discusses choice of sources, treating the language seriously, and language without substance. Shows how those authors judge whole language not by its own principles but…

Responds to three articles (in the same journal) which responded to an article by these authors on the rhetoric of whole language. Discusses the nature of professional discourse. (SR)

Examines direction, durability, and dynamics of affected shifts in teachers' theoretical orientation to reading after a two-day whole-language workshop. Finds that teachers moved away from initial beliefs as to how reading should be taught and retained this distance but did not move with consistency toward an alternative orientation. (RS)

Finds four major unresolved issues, according to state legislators: (1) assessment of students' reading progress; (2) whole language versus basal approaches; (3) use of tradebooks in place of basals; and (4) whether at-risk readers should spend increased time reading or practicing isolated reading skills. Suggests that legislators lack sufficient…