What Type of Language Instruction Should Be Used in Schools?

Introduction

There is incredible debate in today's educational system regarding the best reading methodology to teach young readers. Should reading education emphasis be placed on phonics based instruction or whole language instruction? Both methodologies positive aspects and proven results in different areas of reading. As an aspiring educator, having worked in a variety of classrooms, as well as teaching my own children to read, I have to side with an integrated approach, starting with phonics based instruction and emphasis on whole language in later elementary age as it correlates to thematic instruction that flows through all subject areas.

Why Start with Phonics Based Instruction?

Phonics instruction is important for beginning readers as it provides a foundation of how to read with learning to name the letter sounds, starting with recognition of the alphabet letters and their corresponding sounds. As sounds are recognized, students can start to move towards phonemic awareness through blending, and start to read word families. Knowledge of word families provides readers an opportunity to decode a large number of one syllable words by adding consonants, changing consonant blends, or digraphs within the word family. (Rasinkski, 2008). The process of reading begins.

When a student understands decoding words, specifically with the concept of utilizing word families, they are able to shape their understanding of words and language, as well as gain confidence necessary for young readers to continue to want to read, which is important.

"There are two sides to reading. On one side are the skills which include phonemic awareness, phonics and word recognition, vocabulary, and simple comprehension. On the other side is the will to read. A good reader has both skill and will." (Scull. P. 1).

The progression of phonics instruction is pretty cut and dry, you start with the basics, introducing the letters of the alphabet and the different sounds that they make. This can be done with pre-reading students starting with the age of two or three. As students progress in age and cognitive ability, they can start to put two letter sounds together to start to form words. At this point, usually around ages four to six, students are capable of understanding word families and replacing or adding sounds. Phonics based instruction has been considered to be learning from the ground up, since it starts with introductory concepts and expands upon this knowledge.

Generally speaking, with people of any age, if you start at the beginning of a learning objective, putting together pieces that help formulate understanding and follow a specific progression are much easier to relate to and make sense. Phonics based instruction is much like following a recipe. You don't start at the end or in the middle of a recipe and expect to have the same results as if you started from the beginning of the recipe. When students understand the basics of letters, sounds, and words, they can start to utilize them for reading, writing, vocabulary development, and better grasp on the English language.

Differences with Whole Language Instruction

If phonics based instruction is considered learning from the bottom up, whole language can be described as the opposite, starting from the top down. The ideas of the constructivist view when it comes to whole language is focused in literature based learning, where a literature rich environment is provided to students of all ages, and as a result they are expected to be able to take what is learned from the literature rich environment to read, write, and have exceptional vocabulary due to the exposure of text. Whole language instruction relies heavily on exposure and learning experiences without designed lesson plans and materials that explore how to utilize letter sounds and words. This approach does work for some students, and can work successfully in higher leveled grades, after second or third grade.

Put best is the phrase by Seth Parsons in his article How and Why Teachers Adapt their Literacy Instruction. "Rather than adapt children to a particular method, teachers adapt the methods used to teach the children with whom they were working at a particular time." (Parsons, P. 2) Not every methodology that we particularly like is going to be effective for every student that we encounter. I believe to be a successful educator, we need to work with students on needs that arise by often looking outside the box and providing experiences that will shape their learning.

Integration of Phonics and Whole Language

The end goal of both methodologies for students is the same, the ability to read, comprehend text, expand upon ideas, and enjoy the experience that language can provide through reading, writing, and discussion. Development of decoding and comprehension should be integrated into all reading programs and should be emphasized regardless of teaching phonics or whole language instruction. (Cambria,2010).

In studying more regarding phonics based instruction and whole language instruction, it seems as though an integrated approach is the most beneficial to all students since it provides students with a variety of literature exposure, as well as the means to read, decipher, and comprehend the literature and the elements of literature students are being exposed to. " ...reading essentially involves two basic and complementary processes: learning how to decipher print and understand what print means, an integrated approach to reading instruction is mandatory." (Mills, 2010.)

Conclusion

The focus in classrooms should be on how to systematically approach teaching reading to students of any age, as well as that will engage students, keep them motivated on learning the foundations of reading and to be able to utilize what they've learned to comprehend, write, and develop their own ideas. It is with our own ideas and ability to articulate them that people are successful. My goal as an educator is to teach students as much as I can to encourage their success. While I am partial to phonics based instruction for early elementary grades, I see the powerful investment that whole language ideals also have on students. I believe it is lacking the foundation that phonics instruction provides to early readers who can thrive with a successful ladder approach to learning how to read with success.

I love Language Arts as a whole. My favorite subject in school was always English. I also love to read. I believe in teaching students with a structured program which is why I generally lean towards phonics based instruction, especially since I want to teach between the grades of K- 2^nd. In the end, I hope that I can relay my passion for words, ideas, stories, and books to children, no matter what teaching methodology is utilized.

References

Cambria, Jenna et all. (2010). Motivating and Engaging Students in Reading. The NERA Journal. Acquired through EBSCO on December 9, 2010.

Mills, Kathy. (2010). Floating on a Sea of Talk: Reading Comprehension through Speaking and Listening. The NERA Journal. Acquired through EBSCO on December 9, 2010.

Parsons, Seth et all. (2008). How and Why Teachers Adapt Their Literacy Instruction. College Reading Association. Acquired through EBSCO on December 9, 2010.

Potenza -- Radis, Cheryl et all. A Study Examining How Struggling Third Grade Readers, as Members of a Guided Reading Group, Experience Peer-led Literature Discussions. Kent State University. Acquired through EBSCO on December 9, 2010.

Rasinkski, Timothy et all. (2008). Two Essential Ingredients: Phonics and Fluency Getting to Know Each Other. The Reading Teacher. Acquired through EBSCO on December 9, 2010.

Scull, Janet. (2010). Embedded Comprehensions within Reading. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy. Acquired through EBSCO on December 9, 2010.