Comments on: When reading experts attack http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/when-reading-experts-attack/ Thinking and Linking by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:51:22 +0000 hourly 1 By: Don Potter http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/when-reading-experts-attack/#comment-32209 Don Potter Sat, 31 Mar 2007 13:37:47 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/03/16/when-reading-experts-attack/#comment-32209 Elizabeth B. mentioned my Easy-to-Read edition of Webster's 1824 American Spelling book, commonly known as The Blue-Backed Speller. I would like to mention three other FREE programs on my web site: 1. Word Mastery: A Course in Phonics for the First Three Grades (1913) by Florence Akin: http://donpotter.net/PDF/Word%20Mastery%20-%20Typed.pdf, Although very comprehensive, it is easily taught to kindergarten students. 2. Reading Made Easy for First Grade with Blend Phonic by Hazel Loring (1980): http://donpotter.net/PDF/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Reading%20Made%20Easy%20with%20Blend%20Phonics%20justified.pdf. Perhaps the easiest method. 3. Remedial Reading Drills (1936) by Hegge-Kirk-Kirk:http://donpotter.net/PDF/Remedial%20Reading%20Drills%20-%20Margin.pdf These are the exact drills that Flesch used to teach Johnny. This method is so good that it is not in its third editon, availalbe from Academic Therapy Publications. The new book has reproducible pages which makes it very adaptable in remedial situatins. www.academictherapy.com Don Potter Odessa, TX Elizabeth B. mentioned my Easy-to-Read edition of Webster’s 1824 American Spelling book, commonly known as The Blue-Backed Speller. I would like to mention three other FREE programs on my web site:

1. Word Mastery: A Course in Phonics for the First Three Grades (1913) by Florence Akin: http://donpotter.net/PDF/Word%20Mastery%20-%20Typed.pdf, Although very comprehensive, it is easily taught to kindergarten students.

2. Reading Made Easy for First Grade with Blend Phonic by Hazel Loring (1980):
http://donpotter.net/PDF/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Reading%20Made%20Easy%20with%20Blend%20Phonics%20justified.pdf. Perhaps the easiest method.

3. Remedial Reading Drills (1936) by Hegge-Kirk-Kirk:http://donpotter.net/PDF/Remedial%20Reading%20Drills%20-%20Margin.pdf These are the exact drills that Flesch used to teach Johnny. This method is so good that it is not in its third editon, availalbe from Academic Therapy Publications. The new book has reproducible pages which makes it very adaptable in remedial situatins. http://www.academictherapy.com

Don Potter
Odessa, TX

]]> By: Elizabeth B http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/when-reading-experts-attack/#comment-32208 Elizabeth B Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:37:37 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/03/16/when-reading-experts-attack/#comment-32208 Actually, teaching students with whole word approaches or the current fad term, balanced literacy (they have to keep changing the name as parents catch on!) or even in phonics programs with too many sight words makes it difficult to retrain students. It takes a lot of nonsense words and a lot of patience to undo the guessing habits caused by sight word teaching. If you teach phonics from the beginning, it is very easy, anyone can do it with a simple phonics textbook. Webster's Blue Backed Speller worked admirably as a phonics text, and Don Potter has a nicely formatted copy that is still useful today: http://www.donpotter.net/PDF/Webster%27s%20Spelling%20Book%201824.pdf Sight words confuse students by making their eye jump around the word instead of encouraging proper left to right movement. Thus, sight words promote dyslexia. Moreover, pictures and words are processed on different sides of the brain. Not only do sight words encourage incorrect eye movements, they also confuse the brain, which research has shown reads words sound by sound. You can learn how to properly teach sight words (all but 2 of the most commonly 220 words can be taught phonetically) here: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/sightwords.html and also see a link to the brain research article. Finally, the Reading Wars have actually been going on since 1826, you can see a timeline here with links to many of the books cited at Google Books: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/historyofreading.html Actually, teaching students with whole word approaches or the current fad term, balanced literacy (they have to keep changing the name as parents catch on!) or even in phonics programs with too many sight words makes it difficult to retrain students. It takes a lot of nonsense words and a lot of patience to undo the guessing habits caused by sight word teaching. If you teach phonics from the beginning, it is very easy, anyone can do it with a simple phonics textbook. Webster’s Blue Backed Speller worked admirably as a phonics text, and Don Potter has a nicely formatted copy that is still useful today: http://www.donpotter.net/PDF/Webster%27s%20Spelling%20Book%201824.pdf

Sight words confuse students by making their eye jump around the word instead of encouraging proper left to right movement. Thus, sight words promote dyslexia. Moreover, pictures and words are processed on different sides of the brain. Not only do sight words encourage incorrect eye movements, they also confuse the brain, which research has shown reads words sound by sound. You can learn how to properly teach sight words (all but 2 of the most commonly 220 words can be taught phonetically) here: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/sightwords.html and also see a link to the brain research article.

Finally, the Reading Wars have actually been going on since 1826, you can see a timeline here with links to many of the books cited at Google Books: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Phonics/historyofreading.html

]]> By: allen http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/when-reading-experts-attack/#comment-32207 allen Sat, 17 Mar 2007 17:23:05 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/03/16/when-reading-experts-attack/#comment-32207 Oh heck, NASA had it easy. You get a big rocket, stick some guys on it, stick your fingers in your ears and presto! man on the moon. But teaching a kid to read? Now that's tough. Oh heck, NASA had it easy. You get a big rocket, stick some guys on it, stick your fingers in your ears and presto! man on the moon.

But teaching a kid to read? Now that’s tough.

]]> By: Walter E. Wallis http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/when-reading-experts-attack/#comment-32206 Walter E. Wallis Sat, 17 Mar 2007 15:05:23 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/03/16/when-reading-experts-attack/#comment-32206 Teachers were impressed by the Music Man's Think System. 76 trombones, anyone? Teachers were impressed by the Music Man’s Think System. 76 trombones, anyone?

]]> By: wayne martin http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/03/when-reading-experts-attack/#comment-32205 wayne martin Sat, 17 Mar 2007 02:09:02 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/03/16/when-reading-experts-attack/#comment-32205 Isn't it rather strange that engineers and physicists numbering in the thousands were able to get man to the moon and back, but teachers numbering in the millions can not teach kids to read. Isn’t it rather strange that engineers and physicists numbering in the thousands were able to get man to the moon and back, but teachers numbering in the millions can not teach kids to read.

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