Phonics Makes a Cameo

A surprisingly positive development in the textbook publishing world leads us to believe that hoped-for change may actually arrive some day. “In four major publishers’ new 1st grade Reading programs for Cali­fornia and Texas, a long-overdue national pro-phonics rout of anti-phonics pedagogy is at last in full cry,” Educational Analysts of Longview, Texas, report in the group’s latest newsletter. “Our reviews of these two submis­sions  find the Texas editions clearly stronger on decoda­bility than their Cali­fornia analogs, with some flaws remaining in each.”

“Perversely, textbooks often most lag positive new academic trends. Conversely, they are leading indicators of ultimate success. Adversely, the malpractice that no longer roils Reading methods mires much Math instruction nationwide even yet.”

Malcolm A. Kline is the executive director of Accuracy in Academia.