It's interesting that the author claims we all
learned to read with the "phonics method." I
learned with the Scott Foresman "Dick and Jane"
books and that was at the time called a
"look-say" method. Yet I loved reading, did well
in school, and now have a Ph.D. in literacy.
What I have never enjoyed about phonetically
regular stories is the lack of interest and meaning
in a sentence like "Jill can hop on the log." Why
would anyone do such a thing? I think it's
possible to incorporate enough phonics
instruction so that children can make analogies
to known words (i.e. that catastrophe has the
word cat in it as well as the ph-f sound) without
pounding them over the head with it. Certainly
they will enjoy reading more and by more likely
to read--which is what really makes the
difference.
Thanks for the opportunity to respond.
Nancy

Nancy Healy, nhealy@soncom.com,
3/23/02

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