What's Whole in Whole Language?

by Ken Goodman

What's Whole in Whole Language in the 21st Century? included a new introduction by Ken Goodman, commentary by Michael Rosen, and excerpts from a series of never published interviews conducted in 1992-1993 by Denny Taylor of renowned reading scholars who knew Ken and Yetta Goodman, and who spoke freely about their lives together as well as their research and teaching.

The insights of these scholars, who include Frank Smith and Jeanne Chall, are profound. They shift the political discourse of reading research and teaching young children to read. Ousting the propaganda, they shed light on what really happened to progressive educators and whole language teachers at the end of the 20th century.

Genres: Education

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Smoran8m · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes. Yes. and Yes. This book 100% holds up. "In our zeal to make [reading] easy, we've made it harder." Our education system, and especially the systemic high-stakes assessment of students, is teaching them that reading is hard, a chore to be completed. Whole Language provides the exact opposite approach. It has been given a bad "rap" in the press. IMHO that is because supporting whole language means directing funds into paying educators and treating them as professionals, rather than pouring money into buying products and promoting one "get smart quick" scheme after another.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book early in my teaching career, and enjoyed getting ideas from it at the time.

[Aaron Slack · Rating 1 out of 5]

A lovely little diatribe against phonics.