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Three Arguments Against Whole Language and Why They Are Wrong
Stephen Krashen, one of the country's most respected authorities on language and literacy, sets the record straight about today's reading wars, offering an incisive analysis of the three major "battle cries" of whole language critics. In a step-by-step dissection, Krashen reiterates the three arguments, then explores the most salient studies that support or refute them.
CLAIM: Eye movement studies prove that readers assay text "completely," and therefore do not sample text to confirm predictions, as maintained by whole language advocates. In exploring the Eye Fixation Studies, which attempted to disprove the Goodman-Smith reading theory, Krashen reveals that study participants had no alternative but to examine every fine detail of the print. Further evidence is provided that supports the hypothesis that literacy development and comprehension are in fact closely related.
CLAIM: Context interferes with reading. This is only true, says Krashen, if the context (e.g. pictures) is too rich, or "overdetermining." We also see how the results of studies supporting this claim were biased by the methodology used.
CLAIM: Skill-building approaches to reading have been shown to produce better results than whole language. In fact, asserts Krashen, when whole language is correctly defined as providing comprehensible texts, it is a consistent winner.
The author also skewers the national frenzy over early intervention and illustrates his point with a humorous scenario showing how "prenatal phonemic awareness testing" could be the logical outgrowth of an entirely skills-based approach But beyond its point/counterpoint format, "Three Arguments" offers some real solutions, chief of which is making sure that all children have access to interesting reading material so they can finally achieve the standards of literacy they deserve.
CLAIM: Eye movement studies prove that readers assay text "completely," and therefore do not sample text to confirm predictions, as maintained by whole language advocates. In exploring the Eye Fixation Studies, which attempted to disprove the Goodman-Smith reading theory, Krashen reveals that study participants had no alternative but to examine every fine detail of the print. Further evidence is provided that supports the hypothesis that literacy development and comprehension are in fact closely related.
CLAIM: Context interferes with reading. This is only true, says Krashen, if the context (e.g. pictures) is too rich, or "overdetermining." We also see how the results of studies supporting this claim were biased by the methodology used.
CLAIM: Skill-building approaches to reading have been shown to produce better results than whole language. In fact, asserts Krashen, when whole language is correctly defined as providing comprehensible texts, it is a consistent winner.
The author also skewers the national frenzy over early intervention and illustrates his point with a humorous scenario showing how "prenatal phonemic awareness testing" could be the logical outgrowth of an entirely skills-based approach But beyond its point/counterpoint format, "Three Arguments" offers some real solutions, chief of which is making sure that all children have access to interesting reading material so they can finally achieve the standards of literacy they deserve.
103 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 1999
About the author
Stephen D. Krashen
38 books149 followersStephen Krashen is professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, who moved from the linguistics department to the faculty of the School of Education in 1994. He is a linguist, educational researcher, and activist.
Dr. Krashen has published more than 350 papers and books, contributing to the fields of second-language acquisition, bilingual education, and reading. He is credited with introducing various influential concepts and terms in the study of second-language acquisition, including the acquisition-learning hypothesis, the input hypothesis, the monitor hypothesis, the affective filter, and the natural order hypothesis. Most recently, Krashen promotes the use of free voluntary reading during second-language acquisition, which he says "is the most powerful tool we have in language education, first and second."
Dr. Krashen also holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and was the winner of the 1978 Venice Beach Open Incline Press. He spent two years in Ethiopia teaching English and science with the Peace Corps.
Dr. Krashen has published more than 350 papers and books, contributing to the fields of second-language acquisition, bilingual education, and reading. He is credited with introducing various influential concepts and terms in the study of second-language acquisition, including the acquisition-learning hypothesis, the input hypothesis, the monitor hypothesis, the affective filter, and the natural order hypothesis. Most recently, Krashen promotes the use of free voluntary reading during second-language acquisition, which he says "is the most powerful tool we have in language education, first and second."
Dr. Krashen also holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and was the winner of the 1978 Venice Beach Open Incline Press. He spent two years in Ethiopia teaching English and science with the Peace Corps.
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July 10, 2020
In this short little book Krashen reviews the research on reading to examine the claims against whole language instruction and demonstrates why these arguments fall apart in light of the evidence.
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