USA: ILA changes tune - 'Influential reading group makes it clear students need systematic explicit phonics'

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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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USA: ILA changes tune - 'Influential reading group makes it clear students need systematic explicit phonics'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

This is actually HUGE news. The International Literacy Association has formerly been associated with multi-cueing reading strategies which the research has discredited for many years. Journalist and campaigner, Emily Hanford, is circulating this latest guidance published by the influential group - the International Literacy Association (ILA):
Influential Reading Group Makes It Clear: Students Need Systematic, Explicit Phonics

By Stephen Sawchuk on July 18, 2019
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teachi ... onics.html
The International Literacy Association has put out a new brief endorsing "systematic and explicit" phonics in all early reading instruction.

"English is an alphabetic language. We have 26 letters. These letters, in various combinations, represent the 44 sounds in our language," the ILA brief released last week reads. "Teaching students the basic letter-sound combinations gives them access to sounding out approximately 84% of the words in English print."

It's a strong statement from an influential, big-tent organization whose members, which include teachers, researchers, and parents, have traditionally held a wide range of views on reading approaches.
From an English perspective of developments in reading instruction over the past 20 years, and from the perspective of a specialist in the field, I may well add some comments regarding some content of the publication - but this is looking like a step in the right direction.

Can it properly change the content of the multi-cueing word-guessing intervention Reading Recovery programme which is not based on the systematic explicit phonics as mentioned in this latest publication?

We shall have to see.
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: USA: 'Influential reading group makes it clear students need systematic explicit phonics'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel includes a report on this significant development:
Borsuk: A break in the 'reading wars'? An influential literacy group gives a nod to phonics instruction

Eric Aspenson

https://eu.jsonline.com/story/news/educ ... 841970001/
How explicit is the term “explicit”? And how explicit does a description of the woes in reading ability for Wisconsin students need to be before there is a fresh, broad wave of effort to improve things?

Those are two ways of asking what, if anything, will change about the teaching of reading in Wisconsin in the light of an eye-catching new policy statement from the foremost national organization focused on reading instruction.

For three decades or so, “reading wars” have been a major education subject nationwide. Disputes over how to teach kids to read have been on the front burner at times and on the middle burner at others. You could say that “whole language” vs. “phonics” transitioned into “balanced literacy” vs. “explicit phonics,” and you could say there’s more middle ground now. But the war never really ended.
How explicit is the term “explicit”? And how explicit does a description of the woes in reading ability for Wisconsin students need to be before there is a fresh, broad wave of effort to improve things?

Those are two ways of asking what, if anything, will change about the teaching of reading in Wisconsin in the light of an eye-catching new policy statement from the foremost national organization focused on reading instruction.

For three decades or so, “reading wars” have been a major education subject nationwide. Disputes over how to teach kids to read have been on the front burner at times and on the middle burner at others. You could say that “whole language” vs. “phonics” transitioned into “balanced literacy” vs. “explicit phonics,” and you could say there’s more middle ground now. But the war never really ended.
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: USA: ILA changes tune - 'Influential reading group makes it clear students need systematic explicit phonics'

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Here is news of a survey into teacher preparation of reading instruction:
Teacher prep, equity top list of 'hot' literacy topics

The International Literacy Association’s survey comes as state chiefs gather in Washington, D.C. to discuss what some call a reading crisis.
https://www.educationdive.com/news/teac ... cs/570725/
Teacher preparation programs are not adequately preparing teachers to provide “effective reading instruction,” according to 60% of the literacy educators, researchers and experts responding to this year’s “What’s Hot in Literacy Survey” from the International Literacy Association.

And the 1,443 respondents — more than half of which are teachers — said the greatest challenge facing literacy is “addressing disconnects between the school curriculum and students’ actual needs in terms of literacy support and instruction.”
But hasn't the ILA been at the heart of multi-cueing reading strategies as in the Reading Recovery programme?

Are the organisers making it clear (enough, or at all) that programmes such as Reading Recovery (specifically) are not in line with the findings of research and best phonics practice?
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