Russ on Reading: Putting the Student and Teacher at the Center of Reading Instruction

Russ on Reading: Putting the Student and Teacher at the Center of Reading Instruction:

Putting the Student and Teacher at the Center of Reading Instruction

Take a moment and look at the chart below and ask yourself, “As a teacher and/or parent which of these two approaches to learning to read would I want for my students/children?”

Contrasting Approaches to Reading Instruction

	1	2
Instructional Material	Self-selected multicultural literature	Prescribed reading material
Instructional Approach	Teaching for individual strengths & needs	One-size-fits all reading programs
Assessment of Performance	Authentic, teacher based assessment	High stakes standardized testing
Curriculum Design	Collaborative student-centered curriculum	Standards-based curriculum
Teacher Role in Instruction	Teacher as reflective practitioner	Mandated instruction
Purpose of Instruction	Achieving social justice and equity	Achieving global competitiveness

I think most of us would select #1. The first choice seems more student friendly, includes a wider variety of reading materials and empowers teachers to make instructional decisions based on the needs of the children in the seats in front of them.

Now let me label the two approaches to reading instruction.

	Whole Language	Corporate Education “Reform”
Instructional Material	Self-selected multicultural literature	Prescribed reading material
Instructional Approach	Teaching for individual strengths & needs	One-size-fits all reading programs
Assessment of Performance	Authentic, teacher based assessment	High stakes standardized testing
Curriculum Design	Collaborative student-centered curriculum	Standards-based curriculum
Teacher Role in Instruction	Teacher as reflective practitioner	Mandated instruction
Purpose of Instruction	Achieving social justice and equity	Achieving global competitiveness

You might be thinking, “Wait a minute you fooled me. Isn’t whole language a discredited approach to teaching reading?” In many ways you would be right. Whole language approaches to teaching reading have been under attack almost from the moment they became prominent as a way of teaching in the 1980s. The reason whole language was discredited makes for compelling reading on its own.

Garn Press under the leadership of literacy researcher and family literacy Russ on Reading: Putting the Student and Teacher at the Center of Reading Instruction: