5: What's the Deal With Whole Language?

A Novel Idea: The History of the Science of Reading

07/06/23 • 47 min

Whole language is one of the most talked about developments in literacy instruction in the past several decades. In this episode of A Novel Idea, we take a look at the history and founders of this popular teaching philosophy and examine its effects on contemporary instruction. Featuring insight from:

Dr. G. Reid Lyon, former director, NICHD
Natalie Wexler (Twitter: @natwexler), author, The Knowledge Gap
Kate Will, program coordinator, Iowa Reading Research Center
Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington (Twitter: @literacypodcast), co-hosts, Melissa and Lori Love Literacy
Dr. Maryanne Wolf, author, Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain and Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain
... & more.

Episode transcript and sources
https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/transcript-and-sources-novel-idea-episode-5

A Novel Idea website:

irrc.education.uiowa.edu/resources/novel-idea-podcast

07/06/23 • 47 min

A Novel Idea: The History of the Science of Reading - 5: What's the Deal With Whole Language?

Transcript

Phyllis Hunter: Many people ask: “Why is research necessary in the teaching of reading? Why can't teachers just rely on their intuition and teach shooting from the hip? Just, get in front of the classroom, do what you think, or you feel, is the right thing?” Well, the reason why teachers need research is because: Which children should we allow not to have the best practices? Which children do we just experiment on? Certainly you wouldn't want them to experiment on

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