Action: " No Child Left Behind Act", Pros and Cons

Action: "No Child Left Behind Act", Pros and Cons

My background is not in the field of education, so I have not been
inculcated in its theories or systems. I majored in English and
graduated magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University,
Cleveland, Ohio. I am a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Born in 1928,
I am now retired from the Social Security Administration where my
occupation as a claims representative required teaching skills

The

Advantages of Whole Language

I had been familiar with phonics, but my first encounter with whole

language was as a volunteer teaching literacy. I was discouraged

by the lack of organization, explanations and logic. Whole language

is content neutral. It teaches reading by student-centered, indirect

instruction. WHOLE LANGUAGE IS A THEORY. Its premise is that

learning to read is natural, and what is needed is exposure to

reading material, not instruction. The

advantages of whole language

are its having lead to advocating for better quality reading material

and to exploring new aspects of the reading process, such as

individual learning styles and how the reader receives the text.

On the other hand, the

advantages of whole language

are offset by

requiring students to waste time guessing words with visual, auditory

and content "clues", renamed "cues".
The "No Child Left Behind Act": Pros and Cons
Pros: It stirred the literacy program researchers to advise the
reinstatement of phonics in early grades. They discredited the
premise of whole language in response to low literacy rates.
Cons: The federal law, "No Child Left Behind", and standards-
based curriculum clashed. It lead to "teaching to the test". Dire
consequences for schools and teachers of "No Child Left Behind"
affect curriculum through fear. Literacy program researchers
retained much of whole language's jargon and perspective.
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