GEN: _Electronic Learning_ article & California LMCs

[Peter Butts <pbutts@EDCEN.EHHS.CMICH.EDU>]

A recent _Electronic Learning_ article, "Can Technology Help Teach Reading
Right?" (Nov/Dec 1996) considers the whole language vs. phonics debate and
cites the recent decision to go back to phonics. The article attributes the
decision to California's dismal performance on the 1994 National Assessment
of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading exam. (California was next to last
in the country, with Louisiana taking the dubious 50th spot)

Now doesn't it seem like the California legislature has misinterpreted the
situation? Instead of the dismal performance being the fault of whole
language reading instruction, maybe...just maybe.....California's students
performed so poorly because the state legislature gutted the state's school
library media centers.

hmmm.........

******************************************************************
* Peter Butts                 * "...one man gathers what         *
* East Middle School          *     another man spills."         *
* 373 E. 24th St.             *                                  *
* Holland, MI 49423           *  http://www.macatawa.org/~ems/   *
* pbutts@edcen.ehhs.cmich.edu *   MEL--http://mel.lib.mi.us/     *
******************************************************************