A Case Study of Failed Innovations: How Popular Literacy Teaching Methods Proved to Be a Mistake

Contents:

• What's wrong with reading instruction in the US
• Why teachers will have to be retrained too

In recent months, the American media has been actively discussing the problem of low literacy among children, citing examples from New York City public schools. As The New York Times reports, the city's Department of Education has decided to introduce new methods of teaching reading. Starting next school year, about half of school districts must transition to one of three new learning systems, with the remaining districts following in 2024. The only exceptions are schools where more than 85% of third-graders demonstrate proficient reading scores. Currently, there are only about 20 such schools out of nearly 700 in the metropolitan area. Since 2013, 31 US states have passed numerous laws requiring public schools to implement evidence-based literacy programs. This move is not the first example of a forced transition to new educational methods. Previously used approaches were tempting, but lacked sufficient scientific evidence of their effectiveness. In practice, this led to serious learning problems. This situation underscores the importance of carefully introducing new methods into the educational process. Research evidence must be carefully evaluated before introducing innovations in schools to avoid negative consequences for students.

What's Wrong with Reading Instruction in the United States

According to The New York Times, about half of third- through eighth-grade students in New York City do not have the necessary reading skills. According to other data, the problem affects 65% of fourth-grade students nationwide. The main reasons for this phenomenon, according to officials, scientists, journalists, parents, and educators, are the outdated literacy teaching methods widely used in the educational system. The need to revise approaches to reading instruction is becoming increasingly urgent to ensure the successful education and preparation of future generations.

Teaching reading to children whose native language is written in an alphabetic script is based on the phonics method. This method, which has become popular over the past 150–200 years, is especially important for languages ​​such as Russian and English. The phonics method involves children gradually learning the connection between the sounds of their native language and the corresponding letters. During this learning process, they first memorize individual letters, then learn to recognize sounds in spoken language. After this, they practice combining sounds and letters to form syllables and short words. Thus, the phonics method is an effective and structured approach to teaching reading, enabling children to confidently acquire reading skills early in their development.

Audio-based learning is traditional: the teacher provides students with numerous direct instructions on what and how to do, requiring repetition of similar actions within a rigid curriculum. At the same time, other approaches that are more engaging, creative, and student-centered have begun to gain popularity, especially since the early 2000s in the United States. These teaching methods focus on the individual needs and interests of students, which promotes a deeper understanding of the material and the development of creativity.

Proponents of the whole language approach insist that language should be taught as a whole, rather than through the tedious memorization of individual sounds and letters. About 20 years ago, an entire industry of curricula based on this method emerged in the United States, and many school districts began purchasing corresponding teaching kits. This methodology is known as balanced or leveled literacy. The basic idea is that learning to read should be as natural a process as acquiring oral language. To achieve this, it is necessary to surround children with a variety of books with appropriate content and provide them with time to read in the classroom. Gradually, starting with simple stories and moving on to more complex texts, children will be able to develop the necessary reading skills.

Some children need minimal parental assistance to learn to read on their own before entering school. However, most children struggle with reading. They need more time to understand the connection between letters and speech sounds. This requires direct instruction, teacher explanations, and extensive practice, including working with individual letters, syllables, and short words. The right approach to teaching reading will help children successfully master this skill and develop a love of reading, which will positively impact their future learning.

Authors of balanced literacy programs recognize the importance of phonics instruction, but do not consider it a core component. In the 1960s, some linguists and educators proposed the theory that reading is primarily a matter of guessing words based on the graphic appearance of letters, the syntactic context of sentences, and semantic content. This raises the question: why force children to use a phonics approach if adult and successful readers more often guess words than decode them? The paradox is that these theories were disproved back in the 1970s, but they continue to be part of the curriculum. The need to revise approaches to teaching reading and adapt them to modern requirements is becoming increasingly urgent.

Most American schools relied on ineffective literacy methods to teach literacy. Children were asked to guess words in sentences by focusing only on the first letter, using pictures and the general meaning of the text as clues. This approach failed to develop the reading and comprehension skills necessary for successful learning.

The United States is not the only country to widely employ methods of teaching reading by guessing words from context. This approach was also used for a long time in New Zealand. In France, too, there was a method of teaching elementary school children to perceive words as wholes and memorize their graphic form, rather than their spelling. Renowned French neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene devoted several years of his work to refuting these methods. His research, based on data on brain function, shows that even adults with high reading skills do not perceive each word as a whole. The brain recognizes each letter separately and combines them, but this process happens so quickly that an adult reader is not aware of it.

Why Teachers Will Need to Be Retrained Too

Approaches known as the "science of reading" could have become mandatory in American schools as early as the early 2000s. The introduction of the phonics method was planned as part of educational reforms at that time. However, due to political controversy and resistance from many teachers, the reform was effectively suspended, which led to the increase in the distribution of textbooks focused on balanced literacy. In these materials, phonics instruction was given minimal attention. It is important to note that the use of scientifically proven reading methods can significantly improve student outcomes and promote their successful learning.

The balanced literacy method, advocated by many teachers for 20 years, continues to generate interest today. What are its benefits? As noted in a popular podcast on this topic, programs based on this method assume that children have ample time and opportunities to read. Each student is given access to a library of books, which is a positive aspect of this approach, according to an article in The New York Times. However, there is a serious problem: most books included in balanced literacy programs are short stories designed for leveled reading. As a result, many children don't read these texts in their entirety, but rather skim individual words based on context and illustrations. Over time, students memorize the texts of these books, creating the illusion of reading. This raises questions about the actual effectiveness of the method and its impact on the development of reading skills in children.

Reformers And the authors of educational programs don't limit themselves to a purely phonics-based approach to literacy instruction. They emphasize the importance of developing a love of reading, learning new words, and building general knowledge about the world. This comprehensive approach promotes students' comprehensive development and helps them become more literate and educated individuals.

Returning to the phonics method of teaching reading is a complex task. Proponents of new approaches emphasize that there is currently an insufficient number of ready-made curricula, including textbooks, readers, and teacher manuals. It is important to note that many educational institutions employ teachers who have never had experience using the phonics method. In New York City, a retraining program for such specialists has already begun, and consultations on new methods will be held throughout the school year. Special programs aimed at helping children who are lagging behind in reading due to the use of outdated teaching methods will also need to be developed. Thus, introducing scientifically based approaches to teaching reading in school classrooms is a large-scale and complex task that is only just beginning to be realized.

In the United States, the approach to teaching mathematics in elementary grades is currently being actively discussed. Many proponents of traditional education believe that a focus should be placed on direct instruction and the development of basic numeracy skills. Modern school curricula, by contrast, focus on a more flexible and creative approach, allowing children to independently find solutions to complex problems and avoid memorizing multiplication tables and timed tests. However, experts emphasize that the science of teaching mathematics has not yet achieved the clarity of the "science of reading." Therefore, not all elementary school students benefit from monotonous instructions and repetitive exercises. Debates on this issue continue, and the search for the optimal approach to teaching mathematics remains relevant. Learn more about education by subscribing to our Telegram channel. We share current news, helpful tips, and information on new trends in education. Join our community and stay up to date with all the latest news!

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