Why Can't Our Kids Read
...of Phoenix
COM 120 Effective Persuasive Writing
Professor Jenifer Leary
14 April 2007
Why can't our kids read? II
The nation is on the brink of an epidemic. National graduation rates are declining at alarming speeds and a larger number of children are graduating without acquiring basic reading skills. Numerous studies have attempted to determine why American youth is failing to obtain the knowledge required to graduate high school. While not all the test are conclusive as to why it is happening, all of them concur that the root cause of the alarming rise of American illiteracy is a failure to educate our children.
As numerous papers were reviewed, in an attempt to make a logical argument as to why this is happening, one key issue began to rear its ugly head. There is a debate dividing our educational system that the press has affectionately dubbed "The Reading Wars." The whole language method of literacy training versus the phonetic method of literacy training is unresolved in our educational system. Phonics is the only scientifically proven method of literacy training and should be fully integrated into our school systems.
The existence of phonetic literacy training began with Martin Luther and the split of the Catholic Church in the 16th century. He began by teaching his followers to say their Latin prayers in English and transcribed the Bible from Latin to
Why can't our kids read? III
English. He quickly realized that without a systematic way of literacy training; his work was futile and began developing a uniform way in which to teach reading that has evolved into what we recognize today as phonics.
It was not until the mid-nineteenth century that several new forms of literacy training emerged, however, it was not until 1880 that Francis W. Parker developed a method of literacy training that did away with phonics altogether. In...
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