There is a widespread consensus in the research community that reading instruction in English should first focus on teaching letter (grapheme) to sound (phoneme) correspondences rather than adopt meaning-based reading approaches such as whole language instruction. That is, initial reading instruction should emphasize systematic phonics. In this…

In this article, the authors assess the evidence related to various instructional styles for teaching reading to children with learning disabilities. Results of the literature review indicate that whole language and direct instruction are the two major approaches to teaching reading. Whole language has proven successful for many students with…

Balanced reading instruction proposes an alternative to phonics only or whole language only programs; offers an efficient mixture of instructional approaches; and reconciles an array of learning styles. Although this balanced approach can not be interpreted monolithically, due to the various ways that whole language and phonics can be taught and…

Describes the following research-based whole language instructional strategies: predictions as a prereading activity; "webbing" words or ideas around a specific topic; shared writing; journal writing; vocabulary development; clustering synonyms as a way of approaching new vocabulary; context clues; analogies; definition maps; and reading…

Research on whole language suggests its effects on achievement vary markedly from site to site, and differences may be based not on whether a teacher uses it but how it is implemented. Learning-styles research suggests that little is gained from matching children to methods using learning styles. Instead, any approach needs to take into account…

Focusing on the whole language and the direct instructional approaches, this pamphlet summarizes research on teaching and learning spelling. The pamphlet notes that the goal of the whole language approach to spelling instruction is to produce competent, independent spellers who learn through use and express their progress as increasingly…

This article's fundamental argument is that the reading instruction and reading research have been shaped by political forces desiring to privilege particular approaches to instruction or particular combinations of methodological and epistemological perspectives on research. The swings in both dominant pedagogies and dominant research paradigms…

There is considerable research evidence to suggest that (1) literature has a positive effect both on reading achievement and attitude toward reading; and (2) the use of a literature-based program is an effective alternative to the traditional basal reading approach. The majority of studies concluded that the literature-based approach produced…

Suggests that abandoning controlled vocabulary texts on the assumption that reading is a psycholinguistic guessing game was wrong. Claims that the current emphasis on strategy instruction, scaffolded reading experiences, and the use of writing to foster letter-sounds may provide good outcomes for those teachers and children who dreaded reading…

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…

This article examines the conflict between literature-based or whole-language approaches to reading/literacy instruction and the direct instruction approach, as used with students having or at risk for learning disabilities. It concludes that each approach is often depicted in an idealized fashion but that, in practice, the approaches overlap and…

Methods used for teaching children to read could be the whole language approach, or the phonics approach, or maybe a balance of both. This paper is a discussion of appropriate and effective teaching practices through interesting methods such as music, the use of culturally diverse materials, and the role of toys and television as they relate to…

This paper reviews the history of whole-language versus code-emphasis approaches to reading instruction. The paper concludes that students with severe learning disabilities may learn to read in a whole-language, mainstream classroom, if provided with supplemental instruction, a variety of instructional techniques, and appropriate intensity and…

This review of research on the use of whole language with students with hearing impairments identifies recurring themes, such as whole language is effective for students from a variety of backgrounds and age levels, and literacy development of deaf students exposed to a literate environment parallels that of hearing students. (JDD)

This review of research on reading instruction uses an interactive model to identify learner characteristics, learning conditions, and language processes that are best treated through a meaning-oriented or a code-emphasis instructional program. Resulting instructional guidelines are offered. (Author/DB)