U.S. Department of Education Inspector General to Audit Reading First
After a number of complaints, an audit will be scheduled to scrutinize the contracts for technical assistance to states. This type of thing could have been avoided if we had a permanent specialized SM-14 type national research center on reading. The teaching of reading has been a disaster for decades. In 1955 Dr. Rudolph Flesch published Why Johnny Can’t Read, and in 1981 Why Johnny Still Can’t Read. These books explained that reading should be taught using phonics. However, our top educational leaders wouldn’t listen and continued to advocate the look-see and later the whole language methods. Finally, after an act of Congress, the National Reading Panel Report (2000) declared in favor of phonics and comprehension skills. In 2001 the Reading First program required public schools to teach phonics. So, after 46 years, the disaster ended. However, debate and argument about how to teach reading continue.
Teaching reading is very complicated. We should have had a permanent specialized SM-14 type national research center on reading in 1955. When will our top leaders recognize this? It will probably take another act of Congress.
