Re: Propper Englesh

Jacq <jacqueline.smit@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

<snip>

According to the historical society, in the mid-1900?s there were 25
million Americans; and in published form there were 100 million
McGuffey Readers.  With the ratio of four readers per person (not
counting the other literacy publishers: i.e., Little Blue Readers,
Winston Phonics Textbook, and publishers for individual school
districts), all Americans were bombarded with the tools for literacy
and the rate of literacy in the United States in the 1900 was a little
over 97%.

From Wikipedia: "In the UK, according to the Daily Telegraph (14 June
2006) "one in six British adults lacks the literacy skills of an 11-year-
old". The UK government's Department for Education reported in 2006 that
47 percent of school children left school at age 16 without having
achieved a basic level in functional maths, and 42 percent fail to
achieve a basic level of functional English. Every year 100,000 pupils
leave school functionally illiterate in the UK."

The CIA world Factbook reckons the literacy rate in both the UK and US is
99%, but they define it as just being able to read and write, no mention
of how well.

<snip>

The only universally effective method of teaching reading is through
the use of intensive phonics for a period ranging from several weeks
or months to about a school year, depending upon student age and
ability. For specifics about a wide range of research dealing with
whole language and phonics, see Preventing Reading Failure ? Examining
the Myths of Reading Instruction. Once students have learned the
phonics skills that will serve them throughout their lives, don't
hesitate to have them practice their reading skills with mainstream
children's literature as possible to help them see how exciting and
meaningful reading can be.

That's interesting. The UK school system seems to have an obsession with
synthetic phonics, but I think I may be biased against it because I had
to suffer through hours and hours of it when I'd already learnt to read.
I think it's probably a good way to teach reading, and its effectiveness
has been shown, but I wish teachers would learn to give each kid the
right sort of work for their level, instead of the easy approach of
making all the kids sit through work aimed at the 25th centile.

Rosemary
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Propper Englesh
    ... Winston Phonics Textbook, and publishers for individual school ... all Americans were bombarded with the tools for literacy ... the Myths of Reading Instruction. ...
    (uk.people.support.depression)
  • Re: Propper Englesh
    ... McGuffey Readers.  With the ratio of four readers per person (not ... Winston Phonics Textbook, and publishers for individual school ... the Myths of Reading Instruction. ...
    (uk.people.support.depression)
  • OT: the demise of the British education system, was Re: Lettice Knollys
    ... Oddly, my mother is an expert on teaching reading, especially to children ... > Perhaps someone could explain to me what synthetic phonics are? ... Ma taught me to read before I went to school, just to see if she could. ...
    (soc.genealogy.britain)
  • Re: the demise of the British education system, was Re: Lettice Knollys
    ... practically all the words failed the phonics test. ... I also could read before I went to school. ... learning to do so by reading the cartoons in the Daily Mirror but I suppose ... > Oddly, my mother is an expert on teaching reading, especially to children ...
    (soc.genealogy.britain)
  • Little Manchurian Candidates
    ... Our six-year-old daughter was so excited to start school. ... For one thing, Jenny was struggling ... I was confused by this assessment of Jenny's reading abilities because ... Jenny told me she also cried over stories in her readers. ...
    (misc.survivalism)