What are Phonics-based and Whole Language-based instruction?

When I first began teaching several years ago, I was both shocked and appalled by the reading ability or rather inability of my high school English students. Some students, of course, read beautifully. Their expanding vocabulary carried over into their writing: wonderful essays filled with usually correct grammar, spelling, paragraph structure, and interesting ideas. Some students fell into the average reader category. Yet, far too many of my students had poor reading skills, which also led to writing difficulty. I remember receiving my first batch of English papers. Was I actually teaching in a high school? The horrendous spelling errors, missing punctuation, incomplete sentences, and missing paragraphs filled me with wonder. Why weren't these problems dealt with earlier? How in the world did these kids manage to make it to high school with such poor basic skills? (Beside the point, I've also discovered through experience that these severe reading/writing problems lead to disruptive behavior. Students have lost too many years of instruction to even care about their schooling, so they goof off.)

Nationally the news isn't any better. The 1994 National Assessment of Education Progress determined that 40% of 4th graders couldn't read at the most basic level. Forty percent! In the average 4th grade class, it's not hard to find students still relying on picture books to give them clues. More horrifying still, is that middle school libraries are stocking picture books for those students lagging so far behind. It is also estimated that 90 million adult Americans have severely limited literacy skills. This trend continues to rise as more and more young adults and children fail to gain solid basic reading skills. What's the problem?

Colleagues hinted that the "problem" with reading was because today's kids were taught from the Whole Language Approach. What? I knew there was a definite problem, but I didn't know how to approach it. Now, I know why. After studying the Phonics vs. Whole Language debate, I've learned some valuable information. First, I was taught to read using the Phonics system. Second, I was taught in college to teach using the Whole Language system. The Phonics approach was downplayed, said to be boring, full of worksheets and rote learning. Teaching, Reading, Thinking, Study Skills in Content Classrooms 3rd edition, my college Reading textbook, claims that phonics is the least successful approach to teaching word acquisition especially for students with below-average IQ's. At the time, I didn't question. I just learned and remembered. After studying the theories side by side, my views are much more objective and I'm angered that I was cheated out of a broad education, allowing me to see all sides to the educational debate I had been unaware of.

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