DR PAUL THOMAS VS NYC DEPT. OF ED
As a lover of all things hilarious, I couldn't help but chuckle when I heard about the latest initiative in New York City - "New York City Reads". Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks have come up with a plan to improve literacy rates amongst children in the city, and it involves a heavy dose of the "science of reading" approach. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for kids learning how to read. But when I heard about this plan, I couldn't help but think of my old pal Professor Dr. Paul Thomas.
You see, Dr. Thomas has been championing a different approach to reading for years now. He believes that reading should be a joyful, meaningful experience, not just a series of skills to be mastered. And let me tell you, this guy knows what he's talking about. I mean, have you ever seen someone get as excited about books as Dr. Thomas? It's like he's a kid in a candy store, except the candy is knowledge and the store is the library.
So when I heard about "New York City Reads", I couldn't help but compare it to Dr. Thomas's approach. On the one hand, you have Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks, who seem to think that reading is all about phonics and decoding and sight words. They want to drill these skills into kids' heads until they can read at a certain level, no matter how much they hate it.
On the other hand, you have Dr. Thomas, who believes that reading should be a pleasurable experience that kids want to engage in. He thinks that if you give kids books that they're interested in and let them read at their own pace, they'll naturally develop the skills they need to be successful readers. And you know what? I think he's right.
I mean, think about it - when was the last time you learned something because someone forced you to? Probably not very often. But when you're genuinely interested in something, you'll go out of your way to learn more about it. That's the kind of attitude that Dr. Thomas wants to foster in kids when it comes to reading.
Now, I'm not saying that phonics and decoding and sight words aren't important. Of course they are. But they're not the be-all and end-all of reading. Reading is about so much more than just being able to sound out words on a page. It's about understanding ideas, making connections, and expanding your worldview.
And that's where Dr. Thomas's approach really shines. By focusing on the joy of reading, he's able to get kids excited about books and learning. He's able to show them that reading isn't just a chore to be endured, but a lifelong pursuit that can bring them endless joy and fulfillment.
So while Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks may have good intentions with their "New York City Reads" plan, I can't help but feel like they're missing the mark. If they really want to improve literacy rates amongst children in the city, they should listen to Dr. Thomas and focus on making reading a fun, engaging experience. Because when it comes down to it, isn't that what learning should be all about?
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Paul Thomas @plthomasEdD
Science of Reading | dr. p.l. (paul) thomas https://radicalscholarship.com/category/science-of-reading/
