More on Whole Language

Here's a very flawed treatise on how Whole Language doesn't "work," based on the writer's biases against new ideas and techniques: http://www.halcyon.org/wholelan.html

 

Here's a more unbiased view that just lays out the theories and doesn't take a position. Wouldn't it be nice to have more articles like this? http://www.funderstanding.com/content/whole-language

One quote from this article that I have to share; it sums up my whole concept of teaching writing:

"We learn language cumulatively by using it. Each language encounter, whether oral or written, builds more knowledge about the world, the function of symbols, and communication strategies. Consequently, each language transaction helps us perform the next one, whether it be oral, written, or mental. A whole language curriculum immerses students in situations requiring open-ended, complex language use."

This goes back to my baseball/cooking/instrument analogy cluster.

 

And finally, some mythbusting from the Center for Expansion of Language and Thinking (and how can you argue with a name like that?):

http://www.celtlink.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52:what-whole-language-is-not-common-myths-and-misunderstandings&catid=34:fact-sheets&Itemid=57