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"There's more than one way to teach" Amarillo Globe-News One of my family's dearest treasures is our 6-1/2-year-old grandson Weston. Lest the reader think that I am just another proud grandmother talking, Weston's story involves much more than family pride. In fact, it goes right to the heart of the national debate on reading and education policy that is taking place right now in Washington and in state capitals and school districts around the country. Weston had bad allergies and frequent ear infections as a small child. As a result, he developed hearing problems that led to a hearing loss; and he was speech-delayed. Learning disabilities have been documented among Weston's close family members; and on top of everything else, he is a typical, active, young boy! Had he continued down this all-too-familiar path, he undoubtedly would have been labeled "learning disabled" and placed in special education by first grade. From there, Weston probably would have started down the same tortuous path that so many of my high school students have trod. Because I have taught secondary students for more than 28 years, I have seen thousands of students come and go. Many Westons have passed through my classroom doors. These Westons cannot read nor write well; they have a very low opinion of themselves and generate negative attention by acting out in class. When I have had parent conferences to discuss these Westons, the inevitable story has unfolded. They had health problems in early childhood, lacked success as early readers, and, therefore, hated to read and write. Later, they developed tendencies toward depression and became discipline problems once they hit junior high where the curriculum became more sophisticated. So why do I not think Weston will follow this sad scenario? First of all, my son and his wife have chosen to home-school Weston. Because I was highly involved in writing the English, language arts, and reading standards for the state of Texas, I promised my son and his wife that I would try to locate the very best reading program I could find. My daughter-in-law Kerry had never taken an education course, had never taught anyone how to read, and could not leave her two other small children in order to go for extensive training. So I spoke with an outstanding reading expert who suggested a book recommended for children who might have tendencies toward learning disabilities. The book cost a grand total of $12.80 at Amazon.com. Kerry followed explicitly the directions given in this marvelous, little book that teaches children to go entirely from sound-picture-to-letter. Kerry taught Weston to target phonemes, segment sounds, blend syllables, and read decodable text. Now at age 6-1/2, Weston can easily map sounds to print; and his comprehension skills are superior. Weston had a sleepover at our house a few days ago, and he brought along two books that he had checked out of the community library right before he came. We were amazed at the rapidity at which he could read; and from the discussion that followed each page, it was obvious that he understood exactly what he had read. He never even paused as he read such words as "delighted," "museum," "million," "balloons," "everybody," "furniture," "birthday," "candles," and "together." One of the books was based upon common idiomatic expressions; these often stymie learning disabled children who tend to be literal learners. However, Weston understood each expression and grasped the humor immediately. My purpose is neither to acclaim my grandson nor his dedicated parents but to share a real-life success story. Here we have a reading program that cost $12.80, a mother who has had no formal reading courses, a speech-delayed child with an early hearing loss, and a history of learning disabilities in the family. What could be a worse scenario for surefire failure? Instead, Weston is experiencing rousing success. Weston's story has important implications for the national debate on early reading programs. Do I believe that President Bush is on the right track by emphasizing the importance of reading skills? Absolutely. Do I believe that the federal government must spend billions of dollars to encourage states to spend billions more on expensive reading curricula? Absolutely not. Do I believe that teachers must have intensive training in education courses at the college level before they can teach children to read and write? Not necessarily. Do I endorse the teaching of phonemic awareness and decoding (phonics) skills through the use of direct, systematic instruction? You bet – and our family has positive proof in Weston/ By the way, Weston's younger brother Riley is 4-1/2; and he can already target, segment, and blend phonemes and then map them to letters. Weston better watch out! Little brother is nipping at his big brother's academic heels. Donna Garner is completing her first year of teaching English and Spanish at Central Texas Christian High School in Temple, Texas, after having taught for more than 27 years in the public schools of Texas. She is also a member of Teacher Choice, a national association of teachers and educators who support choices, accountability, and reduced regulation in education. The group’s web site is http://www.adti.net/teacherchoice. |
