The Failure of Reading First

Credit where credit is due

The foundation of Reading First is the report of the National Reading Panel, which recommended phonemic awareness training and intensive systematic phonics, and deemphasized the role of pleasure reading in school. There has been no mention of the many criticisms of this report (e.g. the work of Elaine Garan and Gerald Coles), and no mention of the vast research supporting a different view of how children learn to read.

There has, in particular, been no mention of Frank Smith and Kenneth Goodman, world-famous scholars, who proposed years ago that we learn to read by reading, by understanding what is on the page. Their view, and the considerable evidence supporting it, has been mischaracterized or ignored by advocates of intensive systematic phonics. The Reading First Impact Report has confirmed that Smith and Goodman and the critics of the National Reading Panel were correct all along.

Stephen Krashen

REFERENCES

The failure of Reading First

Gamse, B.C., Bloom, H.S., Kemple, J.J., Jacob, R.T., (2008). Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report (NCEE 2008-4016). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Not the first failure

Lee, J., Grigg, W., and Donahue, P. (2007). The Nation's Report Card Reading 2007 (NCES 2007-496). Washington: National Center for Education, US Department of Education

Fuller, B., Wright, J., Gesicki, K. and Kang, E. 2007. Gauging growth: How to judge No Child Left Behind? Educational Researcher 36: 268-278.

Krashen, S. 2007. NCLB: No impact on state fourth grade reading test scores. http://www.districtadministration.com/pulse/commentpost.aspx?news=no&postid=19497

Lee, J.. 2008. Two takes on the impact of NCLB on academic improvement: Tracking state proficiency trends through NAEP versus state assessments. In Sunderman, G. (Ed.) Holding NCLB Accountable. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. pp. 75-89.

Krashen, S. Decline on tests of reading comprehension from Grades 1 to 3: Is Reading First the Cause? Submitted for publication.

Mullis, V., Martin, M., Kennedy, A. and Foy, P. 2006. PIRLS 2006 International Report. Boston College: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center,