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The Language And Balanced Literacy

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Academic Basics of Basals, Whole Language and Balanced Literacy
When addressing the subject of reading and the most effective method to teach reading is? Additionally, when we teach our children how to read, do they truly understand what they are reading and can they communicate to us what they have read? As educator we have to be instrumental in creating students to become independent effective readers who comprehend well. In order to do this, students have to be provided with basic reading and comprehension skills that continue into adulthood. Whether teaching with a basal reader or using whole language which one is the best one has been a debated topic for decades. According to J. Reyhner,”Proponents of phonics point to a purported decline in reading test scores in the 1990s that they saw as a result of whole language instruction and "scientific" studies that indicated phonics instruction produced better reading scores than other methods.” (Reyhner, 2008) Additionally, whole language advocates point to other reasons to explain those instances of declining reading scores such as students living in poverty and to ethnographic studies of students in classrooms to support their position.” (Reyhner, 2008) Still the query is, which methodology is the most effective for teaching children not only how to read but also comprehend? As teachers should be effective and efficient in our skills and abilities to develop students into literate adults and provide an instructional

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